Forget Losing Weight, What If We Became Nathan’s In 2017?

Before the clock turns midnight, prior to presents and parties, and gatherings where we hug and kiss, and make resolutions for 2017…

Many of us are already riddled with guilt or falling into Forbes message that we need to promote ourselves in 2017, to be great and successful.

But, what if God cares more about us being like Nathan’s, than size 6 or some business success story?

1 Kings. David is advanced in years. His oldest, Adonijah, a man exalting himself and secretly rallying allies in hopes to take his dying father’s throne.

Yet, the son of Bathsheba, you know….the woman David saw washing and impregnated, then killed her husband to hide it…

That Bathsheba…

Well, they had another child, Solomon. And he had already been promised the throne.

Regardless, Adonijah planned and plotted for his own lordship, assisted by Joab the general, and nephew of David, as well as Abiathar the priest.

Just imagine…

• A man who had slain lions and Goliath.
• The one who was anointed by Samuel, best friends with Jonathan.
• The one forgotten by his own father, left in a field tending sheep, when the man of God came to anoint the future king.
• The one who waited patiently for Saul to die, though Saul went insane, and David had played music for Him, and David found himself alone with Saul in a cave.

This David….dying. All the while his oldest was waiting pridefully to promote himself as king.

Scripture says, David was cold, advanced in years, and they put covers on him to keep him warm. (1 Kings 1:1)

And then, there was Nathan.

Nathan was a court prophet who had a long history with David. Nathan saw what was happening long before it happened. He was a man who refused to stay blinded, sitting back quietly, letting sin win. 

He was a messenger to David, speaking to him accurately, on three separate occasions, during some of the darkest times in David’s life.

Nathan spoke in a parable, awakening David to the reality of the sin he was committing in killing Bathsheba’s husband, to hide adultery and her consequential pregnancy many years earlier.

• Nathan had wisdom of when to speak and when to keep quiet.
• He was wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove.
• He didn’t just railroad people with His prophesies, but used metaphors, plans, and careful calculations to get God’s will done.

And although God calls us to be child-like, Nathan knew that sin doesn’t just lay down and die. Sin must be battled and destroyed, confronted and spoke against….even at the cost of ones own life.

In 1 Kings 1, David was dying. Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon about Adonijah’s thrust for the throne. Then, he waited, and Bathsheba asked Nathan’s advice. (1 Kings 1:12)

Nathan instructs Bathsheba to go immediately to David and say, “Did you not swear…Solomon shall reign?”

Then, Nathan’s plan was to storm in the room, and say the exact same thing to David, confirming Bathsheba’s words.

David listened, and anointed God’s chosen, Solomon, as the new King, leaving the legacy God intended…

And I wonder…

• How often do we just assume sin will just go away on its own?
• How often are we tired and weak from the battles we have faced, and so instead of “working out our sin with fear and trembling” we lay down and let evil win?
• How often is territory taken, because we don’t trust in Jesus strength, but focus on our own weak and helplessness?
• How often have we failed to surround ourselves with people who will speak truth and wisdom to us?
• How often do we forget Scripture tells us, “Be alert to the enemies schemes”, but we prefer settling with smiles and plastic images, because let’s face it, fake can often be easier?
• How many times have we said, “What is meant to be, will be?” Quietly letting nature take it’s course, when God’s people were called to stand up and fight…

When were we deceived into thinking evil just lays down and dies, when God’s people were given authority to rise, in His name, by His power, fulfilling His purposes, regardless of the cost?

Solomon almost immediately became King, as words fell soft on David’s ears from both Bathsheba and Nathan.

“Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. He blew the horn and all the people said, ‘Long live King Solomon.'” (1 Kings 1:39)

Adonijah, the oldest, power hungry brother, shrunk in fear. The darkness that was rising, was intimidated when light and truth, and the righteous took their rightful place on the earth.

So is the same, still today.

Who will we let sit on the throne of our hearts in 2017?

Will we wait and rest and just assume the year will turn out for the best? Or will we be like Nathan, strategizing, planning, fearless in confronting evil, willing to risk our lives to make sure God’s purposes come to fruition this year?

I don’t know about you, but I want to be like Nathan. I want eyes to know the strategies of the enemy, doing everything in my power to move forward the Kingdom of Heaven.

I want to know when to speak, and when to keep quiet, having a legacy like Nathan, who used words skillfully, bypassing the mind, and piercing straight to the hearts of kings.

I want to not just sit back quietly while power rules and reigns, or those in authority overstep like David with Bathsheba.

I want to fight for love and holiness, keep the standard, God’s law and his heart as the focus of everything I do.

Oh friends, let’s be like Nathan this year. Instead of obsessing over five pounds, following trends, or focusing on appearances to stroke our own egos….

Let’s submit to God and let Him turn us into battle warriors caring more about His purposes than what’s on t.v.

Solomon became King. A love story coming from one of the greatest sins in history, between David and Bathsheba.

Today, we have a chance, and choice in determining our legacy.

What will it be? Will we live like Adonijah’s….secretly wrestling in our hearts for power and position?

Or will we live like Nathan’s, influencing Kings because our hearts are humble, and His ways are perfect…

It’s our choice. God has placed two paths before us.

What will be our legacy?

(Next week, there is will not be a UNITE Link Party on Monday, December 26th, and likely, no posts until UNITE starts back up again, Monday, January 2nd.) 

Thanks for all of you love and support this year, your comments and e-mails, your encouragement and questions. I love and appreciate each one of you.

See you, January 2nd!