MFM Daily Devotional 20 January 2024

TOPIC: Lessons from the Life of Prophet Nathan (IV)

FIRE SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 12:13-25 
¹³ And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

¹⁴ Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

¹⁵ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

¹⁶ David, therefore, besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

¹⁷ And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

²⁰ Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

²¹ Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

²² And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

²³ But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

²⁴ And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him.

²⁵ And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

MEMORY VERSE
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Exodus 8, Exodus 9, Exodus 10, Luke 14, Luke 15, Luke 16

MOTIVATION QUOTES: No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of others.
PRAISE AND WORSHIP: Take praise and worship songs as you’re led by the Holy Spirit.

PROPHETIC WORD FOR TODAY: Your life will count, in the name of Jesus.

MFM Daily Devotional 20 January 2024 MESSAGE

Prophet Nathan comforted and uplifted a broken friend. He was not judgmental. In today’s Fire Scripture, when David said, “I have sinned,” Nathan replied him with a message of hope: “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” Of course, the child that resulted from David’s adulterous and murderous act died; yet, in God’s mercy, Bathsheba had another child for David. When this was born, Nathan came again with a comforting message about the love of God for the family, especially the child.

Nathan left David’s sin where it belonged, in the past. He did not continue to remind him of his mess. His focus was now on the hope of the future, on this young child Solomon (Jedidiah). His words were intended to build up his friend David and encourage him in the LORD, not a reminder of past failures. We serve a God who forgives and forgets. If the LORD does so, then we as His people need to also leave past wrongs that have been confessed and forgiven where they belong.

READ DCLM Daily Manna Saturday 20 January 2024 – Unbridged Access

What if Barnabas had not given Saul of Tarsus a second chance? What if he held his grievous sins against him rather than showing confidence in his repentance (Acts 9:26-28). We ought to emulate this wonderful approach. Leave the sin behind, and press forward together (Philippians 3:13-14).

Beloved, many of our Christian fallen heroes have been left to rot away in the hands of satan simply because of our judgmental approach to them. Many of them would have loved to get back on their spiritual feet, but no one was loving enough to wrap their hands around them to get them back.

Due to this judgmental approach, many fallen heroes have died and some have taken their own lives. We can do better in the body of Christ. Let’s cultivate the habit of leaving people’s past where it belongs when they have genuinely repented and Christ has forgiven them. Galatians 6:1 says “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

MFM Daily 20 January 2024 Prayer Points

𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆
1. I receive the grace to uplift others, in the name of Jesus.
2. I shall be a succourer of many, after the order of Phoebe, in the name of Jesus.
3. Father, give me fervent charity to help the backslidden back to God, in the name of Jesus.
𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆
4. Judgemental spirit, bitter heart, I am not your candidate, die out of me, in the name of Jesus.
5. Father, fill my heart with love and joy, in the name of Jesus.
6. I shall not fall; I shall not falter in the name of Jesus.
7. Mistakes and errors, waiting to tarnish my testimony, die by fire, in the name of Jesus.