God's Sabbath

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E NTERING INTO G OD ’ S S ABBATH R EST

and instead fix our thoughts on the character, works, and prom ises of God, we are on the path to conquering our problem. After David had done this and spent his time reviewing the faithful ness of God in his past experience, his faith could not help but in crease. As he began to trust God’s problem solving power to de liver him, he added the resolve that he would not betray his heav enly Father. Once David had fulfilled his part and left the solu tion to God, nothing could possibly go wrong, and nothing did.

David’s Repentance

God did not need to level darts of personal condemnation against His erring son, for David saw with great clarity where he had returned God evil for good. As he reviewed his past expe riences and recalled the way God had so faithfully led and pro tected him when given the opportunity, he realized what serious mistakes he had made and how much he had hurt the Lord’s work. He knew he deserved the severest punishment. In deep re pentance he fervently wished he had never allowed himself to be turned aside from God’s ways, and solemnly resolved that he would guard his soul with greater care in the future. “David was caused to feel that he had missed his path. Far better would it have been for him to find refuge in God’s strong fortresses of the mountains than with the avowed enemies of Je hovah and His people. But the Lord in His great mercy did not punish this error of His servant by leaving him to himself in his distress and perplexity; for though David, losing his grasp on di vine power, had faltered and turned aside from the path of strict integrity, it was still the purpose of his heart to be true to God.” Patriarchs and Prophets , 690.2. David’s fall into sin occurred when he chose to trust his own plans instead of looking to God for guidance. Lying to Achish was not his first error of judgment, for David had already left the path of truth before he deceived the king. It was but the fruit of replacing God’s ways with his own. Despite his departure from God’s ways, it was still in David’s heart to be true to his Creator. As this loyalty was the dominant disposition within David, God was enabled to work mightily for