Your people O, Lord

A psalm of David. Who may worship in Your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.
(Psalms 15:1-5 NLT)

King David recognized the things that separated God’s people from people of the world because God was teaching him and his heart was able to be molded and soft in the Master’s hands but even David’s journey was not without struggles. What kept David returning on the occasions when he wondered off course? He had an intense, burning desire to please the Lord God and the ability to see own his desperate situation and his depravity without God in his life. Even though David was king he did not allow pride to blind him from the realization that without Jehovah he had nothing.

Have we come to the same conclusion that King David came to? That there is nothing I can do, nothing that I could ever accomplish that could possibly take the place of Jesus Christ living in my heart or have we become too comfortable with the life we’ve made for ourselves, out of touch with what true value we lose by depending on ourselves and trusting in the riches we’ve stored up?

“For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child." As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn't discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all.
(Hebrews 12:6-8 NLT)

Have you ever been corrected by God, let me ask in another way. Have you ever gone through a situation that brought you to the point of desperation and when you hit bottom did you finally look into the face of God knowing that none of your own devices would save you? God loves us unconditionally but long before we were created God’s law of sowing and reaping had already been established. God loves us too much to allow us to escape the plan He has set in motion but often long before we go through the trial God’s Holy Spirit has been trying to lead us and if that be the case and you have refused to listen on the other side of the trial He will remind you of His loving ways even before the fall. All for this one purpose – that you may learn God’s voice and know He is trust worthy in all situations. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and like King David love the ways of God so that your days may be blessed. Don’t think you can do what you want, remain stubborn with deaf ears to the Lord’s call and then depend on His mercy when you are caught as King Saul did before David became king.

But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
(1 Samuel 15:22 NLT)

Saul became filled with pride and God replaced him as king over Israel with a young shepherd whose heart remained pliable all the days of his life. David was not perfect and many times was disciplined by God but David always returned to God’s side because he knew there was no other place for him, in all the world David desired to rest under the shadow of the All Mighty and he knew the Master’s voice.