Gummy Bear Gospel (Week 17)

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​My jaw literally dropped when I saw her. My 3-year-old came around the corner, her mouth stuffed full of gummy bears.
 
I had asked that she eat three, and then be all done. Instead, she ran and hid in front of the house and shoved the entirety of the bag in her mouth.
 
I stood there, mouth agape in surprise at her disobedience and deceit, much in the same way I found myself surprised by David’s sinfulness in our reading this week.
 
Among many areas where the great king fell short, David demonstrated a lack of love for the blind and lame, took many concubines, committed adultery, and even conspired to have a man murdered.

​It’s easy to shake my head at stories like this, but my surprise reveals a disconnect from my own sin. 
 
The truth is none of us are exempt from sinful nature: not my sweet little girl, not even “a man after God’s own heart,” and certainly not me.
 
Minimizing my brokenness also minimizes my need for a savior. When am I unaware of the depths of my sinfulness, I am not singing psalms of praise and gratitude like David. I am not arming myself against both “respectable” and blatant sins. I assume this happened to David as well, and then he saw Bathsheba.
 
David was sinful all the days of his life. Sin dwells within us and, because of this, we are prone to wander away from the gospel. We pretend and tell ourselves we aren’t that bad, or we perform and try to earn God’s favor. Through this pretending and performance, we see that the root of all our more visible sins is not believing the gospel. 
 
Our wandering hearts require frequent preaching of biblical truths and rehearsal of the gospel; to consistently recognize and repent of our brokenness and experience the vast holiness and redemption of God. 
 
When the gospel is functioning correctly in our lives, our awareness of our sin grows; therefore, our awareness of God’s holiness grows as well. This is not in an unhealthy, shame-inducing sense, but in a way that recognizes our real need. As a result, our appreciation for Jesus’ death on the cross grows, too.
 
David committed gasping, jaw-dropping sins. Do you know who wasn’t surprised by David’s sin? God. He isn’t surprised by our sin either. (Not even when we stuff an entire bag of gummy bears in our mouth after He tells us not to.)
 
Even when our view of sin skews our view of God, He does not change, nor does His love. Search your heart and confess your sin today. As our memory verse tells us this week, God is faithful and just to forgive. Take a moment to reflect on your need for a Savior, then thank Him for His sacrifice.
 

About the Author

Hi, I'm Katelyn Wilson! I live in Springfield, MO with my husband Michael and our two daughters, Quincy (3) and Landry (1). I worked as a pediatric physical therapist until a year ago when Landry was diagnosed with a rare and devastating genetic disorder. Motherhood has been a pain-laden journey through miscarriages, foster care, and now navigating life as a medical mom and advocate FOR LANDRY. I am learning how to mother and find joy in a life so very different from the one I planned. The only easy part is pointing to the all-encompassing deliverance and hope we find in Jesus.

Learn more and follow Katelyn at www.forlandry.com

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