BE SCARED OF THE SCAR!

Dearly Beloved, BE SCARED OF THE SCAR! "Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (1 Kings 15:5 NKJV). A scar is a mark that is left on the skin after a wound has been healed. I have many of such marks on my body, and I still remember vividly what caused some of the healed wounds though many of them happened over thirty years ago when I was still young. I know that many of you reading this message also have scars of healed wounds on your bodies, and you still remember the causes of some of those indelible marks. Figuratively, a scar can be a permanent feeling of sadness or mental pain any unpleasant experience. The situation has gone, but its memory still hunts one. Such is the memory of sin and any wrongdoing done against fellow human beings and especially God. The wrongdoing might have been resolved and possibly a restitution might have been made for it. God might have forgiven the sin after remorsefulness of and repentance from the sin. In spite of these, the scar of the wrongdoing or sin will still be there. The case of King David is a classic example. David saw a beautiful woman bathing as he was strolling on the roof of his palace. He enquired about the woman, summoned her and committed adultery with her. The action resulted in a pregnancy. To cover up this, David arranged for the killing of the husband of the woman, and made her one of his wives (see 2 Samuel 11). God sent Prophet Nathan to confront David because of these sins. David was remorseful, and God forgave him (see 2 Samuel 12). Nevertheless, the sins left many “scars” in the latter life of David as his own son, Amnon, raped his half-sister (see 2 Samuel 13), and another son, Absalom, tried to overthrow David (see 2 Samuel 15-18), and even had sexual intercourse with many of the wives of David in the full glare of the people (see 2 Samuel 16:22). The chroniclers of the kings of Israel spoke well of David, but referred to the “scar” relating to the issue of the woman (see 1 Kings 15:5). King Manasseh of Judah was a very wicked king! His atrocities were recorded in 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 32:33–33:20. The Lord afflicted him and made him to be taken to captivity in Babylon. In his affliction, he called on God, and the Lord answered him. He was restored to his kingdom, and he did very well in his latter years. However, the scar of the atrocities of his earlier life made God to allow the Babylonians to conquer Judah and Jerusalem, and the people of Judah were led to captivity (see Jeremiah 15:4). The Lord is gracious and merciful (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 145:8). He is ready to forgive anyone who sins and later repents of the sin (Psalm 86:5, 15; Daniel 9:9; 1 John 1:9). However, like a healed wound, the sin will leave a “scar” in the life of the person. The sin has been forgiven, but the “scar” of the sin will still be there. This calls for a great caution! One needs to think twice before committing any sin. One may be forgiven of the sin if one genuinely repents of the sin. However, one has to be mindful of the scar that the sin will leave behind. One has to be cautious also in one’s relationship with other people. One may resolve any caused conflict, but what of the aftermath of the conflict – the scar that the conflict will leave behind? After the forgiveness of sin and the resolution of the conflict, the scar may continue to hunt you for the rest of your life and even after your demise. The scar can never be as the other parts of the body. Be scared of the scar please. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will not only be mindful of committing sin, but also be scared of the scar that such sin will leave behind.