Picking Up the Pieces

2 Samuel 12:24

"And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him."

One of the worst feelings a person can have is when they are holding something that is precious and accidentally drop it and breaking it. Several years ago I watched a friend of mine hold an object made out of crystal. He was not doing anything foolish, the object just accidentally slipped out of his hands and shattered. Oh, the look on his face and the apology coming from his lips, but nothing would ever bring that crystal object back.

David found himself in a similar situation, but what he messed up was his life. In one night of passion, he committed the sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and his life would never be the same. Bathsheba got pregnant from that night, and even though David got right with God about the sin, the child that was born died a premature death. David was certainly brokenhearted, but you can see from the verse above that David decided to pick up the pieces and move on from where he was. God gave him another son, and this son eventually became the one who would sit on his throne after he was gone.

Everyone does something wrong at one time or another. For us to sit and point our fingers at someone who made a foolish decision is wrong. That person still has a life that God can use. We must remember that we are only one decision away from making the same foolish decision. There are four things we need to remember if we are going to pick up the pieces and move forward and be used of God.

First, you must not live in the past. David did not live in the past and sulk over what he did, but he moved on. You cannot change what you have done, so move on from where you are. You can sit and sulk, or you can get up and move on from where you are.

Second, David moved on from where he was. He couldn't go back to where he used to be, so he wisely chose to move on from where he was. You cannot play as if sin never happened. No, you don't have to talk about it, but you must not deny it either. If you want to pick up the pieces, then you have to acknowledge you've done wrong and move on from where you presently are.

Third, God still blesses after confession. God is always the God of another chance. God blessed David with another son after his sin, but David got right with God before the blessing came. God can still bless you after you have done wrong, but confession to God must happen before He will ever choose to bless you.

Fourth, the greatest blessings can be ahead. David never understood that Solomon would become the greatest blessing of his life, but he was, and all because David picked up the pieces and moved on from where he was. The greatest blessings of your life can come if you will pick up the pieces and move on from where you are. Don't sulk in the pieces of sin or deny the pieces of sin, but pick them up and move on and God will bless. God is a masterful God at making something beautiful out of broken pieces.