DO I MEASURE HOW I MEASURE UP?
You wouldn’t think you would find a reference to social media in the Bible, but Holy Spirit can make application any way He wants to! You may be thinking, yeah right! Just hang with me. This is going to apply to you.
Recently I found myself reading in 2 Samuel 24. It’s not one of those books you usually do a dive deep into unless it’s a part of your yearly reading, as is the case with this short devotion I want to bring you today!
The particular passage is 2 Samuel 24: 2-4.
The short synopsis is that David wants a census taken to count all “his” people. Now a census isn’t unusual but those around him seem to question why he is asking for one now. Long story short as you read the surrounding passages…there was no need ! Even though Joab questions as to why he desired a census, David persisted! Marni’s version is that Joab says you have tons in your kingdom! David was not lacking in his kingdom but David wants it done so what the king wants the king wants! In total David fashion once he goes through with it, he is burdened and broken. I believe David knew within his heart, he had the wrong motives for desiring the census.
Isn’t that just like us? We know what we are doing is wrong but we barrel through anyway.
In 2 Samuel 24:10, we see David’s heard is troubled. We find him confessing to God he has had a prideful heart for desiring to “count” his kingdom and his vast followers!
NOW…
that is where God just sat down on me…….I’ve had an evil heart!
Stay with me….
How many times have I counted “my” followers?
How many times have I gone back once more to see how many “likes” I received on a post?
How many times have a “peeked” back to find out if “my” thoughts were shared?
How many Pinterest followers do I have?
How many Podcast followers do I have?
How many “praises” by the heart emoji or the like button I’d received for “my” work?
Doesn’t sound much different that David, does it?
Can you relate? You put the scripture up against your own life and sometimes it’s not pretty !
No, David didn’t have a IG, FB or TikTok,
but he did have a prideful heart and those haven’t faded with time.
Flesh is flesh and sin is sin. Mine was exposed with this seemingly simple passage.
After David barreled through in disobedience, David knew he had sinned and he immediately asked that God take away the sin because he had “acted a fool”!
The prophet soon had a word for David regarding what he had done and it wasn’t swept under the rug…..The story is really interesting! If you want to dig a bit further. It’s totally worth your time!!
In a nutshell, the prophet gives him three choices. David chooses one…..
I’ll share a little spoiler alert, He doesn’t choose wisely there either. His choice for punishment for sin even shows his self-centeredness. This whole section shows us David can be pretty self absorbed. Just like me! We love to hide our sin but friends, God is honored when we call it like He sees it!
This entire story sounds a-lot like me….God is good at exposing that!
Greatness can be a stumbling block.
In David’s life, the great “followship” he had was to be used for God’s kingdom. As God gives us increase for the kingdom in our day, we must keep our eyes on the prize and not on the tally of our own significance.
As God uses us as His servants, we must be on guard that we don’t start tabulating the numbers of our own greatness. David did and it cost 70,000 men their lives! Yep! It’s all in 2 Samuel 24. Our choices affect others. As we count our followers, likes and shares, God sees how we lack humility. Our hearts are exposed…..and not in a good way!
I never really thought about how arrogant and self absorbed I’ve been as I checked back over and over again to check my “greatness”. Scripture is a mirror! It shows all the blemishes and imperfections.
.
I could not get away from how much my story on social looked like Davids census story
Bottom line friends…
His kingdom is not about us. As He uses us for His glory, beware of the trap to be “more” in your own eyes. -Marni