2 Samuel 12:13-20 New International Version (NIV)
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord, the son born to you will die.”
15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth[b] on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.
18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”
19 David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked.
“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”
20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
Saturday, July 11 - 2 Samuel 12:13-20 The Scandalous Plan Did you see the Gospel in this passage? It is scandalous. David repents, but his sin has cost the life of his descendant. This is one of the hardest passages in the Bible, but it is Gospel. An innocent person suffers and dies because of the sin of a wicked person. David is not going to die because of his sin, but his son does. In the same way, we are not going to die because of our sin, but God’s son did. The plans that we make without God lead to suffering and death, but because of the scandalous plan of salvation we will not suffer the consequences! Jesus sets us free to live… and make plans! Make plans to be a blessing to God and to everyone you encounter. Think of every person you meet today. Maybe God has planned for you to be a blessing to them!