Gods Sabbath

C HAPTER 12

David’s Loss of Faith

A prayer-filled careful reading of 1Samuel 16–22 together with Patriarchs and Prophets 643 to 659 can help to deepen the understanding of this chapter. S atan is a master tactician. He knows how to seduce us into planning God’s work and our own lives, and then, when se rious problems appear as an inevitable consequence, he works to convince us that we cannot expect God to untangle the mess we have made. He contends that before we come to God, we must first solve the problems we have created, and then approach God with a clean slate. He tries to conceal the fact that God wants us to come to Him just as we are. “When Jesus heard it, He said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17 (NKJV). “... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners....” 1Timothy 1:15. “It is Satan’s special device to lead man into sin, and then leave him, helpless and trembling, fearing to seek for pardon.” Christ’s Object Lessons , 156.1. This advice appeals to the human psyche. When in error, we feel the separation our sin has made between us and God, just as Jesus did when He prayed on the cross, “My God, my God,

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