Worshiping God When Life Hurts

One of the last things we want to do when we are feeling hurt or betrayed is worship God. Yet worship is the very thing David does after the loss of his son. It is also what we should do. 

David is called a man after God’s own heart.  It wasn’t because David was sinless, for he certainly wasn’t. He was guilty of adultery, murder, and lying. Yet when the chips were  down, he got his heart right with God. He failed God miserably, but there were some things he did right.

David refused to put his hand to the Lord’s anointed. He had numerous opportunities to get rid of Saul, who was pursuing him to death.  Yet he wouldn’t touch Saul or allow his men to touch him. God honored David because of that.

David’s most horrible crime involved the premeditated, planned murder of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba. He needed to get rid of “evidence” because he had committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and she was pregnant with David’s child.

When God sent Nathan the prophet to show David his sin, he repented. Psalm 51 is a beautiful prayer of confession, humility, remorse, and restoration. This (his heart attitude) was what made David a man after God’s own heart.

Even when God forgives, there are consequences for our actions. It was no different for David. There was a consequence for David and Bathsheba’s sin. The child born to them from their adultery was going to die. God told David that, but he still fasted and prayed as long as the child was sick. He spent the night in sackcloth, lying on the ground, pleading with God to spare his son’s life. His servants begged him to eat, but he would not.

After all that fasting and all those prayers, God didn’t spare the child.

On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him the news.

They said, “Look how he acted when the child was still living; what in the world is he going to do when he finds out the child is dead?”

King David saw the consternation of his attendants. He saw their whispers and their lowered eyes.

He asked, “Is the child dead?”

They needn’t have worried. Once David knew the child was dead, he got up, washed himself, put on lotions, and got dressed. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped. In the middle of his sorrow and grief, David worshiped. 

Afterwards, he came back to his house and ate.

You can be sure his servants were puzzled. They asked David for an explanation.

“While the child lived, I thought maybe the Lord would be gracious to me. But he is gone now, and I cannot bring him back. He cannot come to me, but someday I will go to him. What would be the point of fasting now? God has given me His answer.”

That’s why David worshiped. He accepted God’s answer and was able to praise Jehovah God.  [Worship is expressing reverence, adoration, and honor to God.]

What an example to us today!

When worship is the last thing we feel like doing, it should be the first thing we do. In good times or in bad times, our thoughts should go to God. Our worship is not based on emotion. It is based on Who God is and His faithfulness, when times are good and when life isn’t good.

Going to God in worship is recognizing His sovereignty and His care for us, even when life hurts.