YOU NEVER KNOW

“Who can tell if God will…?” 

(2 Sam. 12:22)

Nathan had just told David that the baby Bathsheba had born to him would die. As soon as the prophet departed the child became very sick. For seven days David fasted and prayed that God would spare the infant. During this time he neither bathed nor changed his clothes. On the seventh day the baby died, but the servants feared to tell David. Their reasoning was, if he took the sickness so hard, what would the baby’s death do to him.

But to their surprise, when David learned of the death of his baby, he arose from the earth, washed and anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went to the House of God and worshiped. Then he went to his own house and ate. His servants inquired of him the reason for his strange behavior. They wanted to know why, when the child was sick, he carried on so; but the death he seeming took in stride. David’s reply was, “Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again?” Or as we would say today, “You never know.”

David believed, as long as there is life there is hope; and as long as there is hope, there is room to pray. But once dead and out of the reach of prayer, he knew he could not undo the situation. So David returned to life’s daily duties, with its disappointments and its delights. It is a wise individual who can walk away from circumstances that no longer has a soul in them. We all have a choice, we can spend life in a graveyard with things that can’t be brought back; or we can get back among the living and do some great things for God, as David did.

The washing and changing of your garments in David’s day represented a new beginning. Maybe someone reading this needs to run the bath water, and lay out a fresh change of clothes!