This sponsored post was provided by Burke Care, and written by Cameron Woodall , which invites you to schedule care today with a certified biblical counselor.
“But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.” – 2 Samuel 11:27b 
This verse comes after one of the most famous stories in the Bible. King David abuses his authority and privilege by bringing a married woman, Bathsheba, in his palace with the intention of committing adultery. Then, after learning she is pregnant, he orchestrates the murder of her husband to cover his sins. Once Bathsheba mourns the death of her husband, she is brought into David’s house to become his new wife. This, collectively, is the “thing” that displeased the Lord; indeed, it was pure evil (Psalm 51:4). And based on God’s justifiable displeasure, the verdict we would expect from His judgement seat might sound like, “The Lord sent ruin to David.”  But something unexpected follows…
“The Lord sent Nathan to David.” – 2 Samuel 12:1a
Unless we linger, it is easy to overlook the profound grace that is in this sentence. God sent an advocate, the prophet Nathan, to reveal something in David’s heart he could not see himself; he was no longer chasing the Lord, he was chasing idols. Nathan uses a clever story to function as a mirror, reflecting the sin in David’s heart in a way David could not see prior. But God’s goal here was restorative, and in six Hebrew words, the heart of a heavenly Father is put on display. It truly was God’s exposing love that led David to repentance. Without question, the Lord was displeased with David; the abuse of power, the adultery, the lies, and murder, but still His movement towards David and the exposure of his heart was not punitive…it was redemptive. As Biblical Counselor, Jim Pocta, often says, “God’s love is both exposing and embracing.” God’s commitment to David was not contingent on David’s commitment to God. David was the Lord’s own possession; the Lord Almighty was with him (2 Sam. 5:9), he was chosen by God (1 Sam. 16:1), and a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22). Ironically, David, though once a shepherd, had lost sight of God’s grace and the Good Shepherd brought him back into the fold. 
Consequently, these words reveal a profound truth relevant for us today.
At our worst, God gives us His best. — Mike Wilkerson; Redemption, p.67 
As sons & daughters adopted by God we may, at times, invoke our Father’s displeasure, but never His dis-ownership. For as the Lord sent Nathan to David, so also, the Lord sent Christ to us. “…the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). It truly is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. 
“This is what the work of grace aims at – an even deeper knowledge of God, and an even closer fellowship with Him. Grace is God drawing us sinners closer and closer to himself” – J.I. Packer
If you feel far from the Lord over your sin, if shame feels like the theme of your story, Burke Care would love to walk alongside you. 
Father, You have sent Your helper, Your Holy Spirit to guide and direct me. He is the power in my life to change my heart. Thank you for placing the Holy Spirit in me as I await Jesus’ return. You, Father, are the only one who has promised to come and get me out of exile. Show Yourself faithful to Your promises. I cling to Your righteousness and goodness. Amen!
Application questions:

How has God shown his patience and mercy towards you in the past by not punishing you for 100% of your wrongdoing?
Does a sense of injustice arise in your heart when you consider things to be unfair?
How would you rather God treat you when you knowingly violate one of His commands or statutes?

Grace and peace to you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include some solid deals from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Tale of the Pig and the Sheep)
Singing with the Saints
Vern Poythress has begun a promising new series on singing with the saints.
I Wasn’t Half-Dead
Glenna Marshall: “When it comes to God’s miraculous work of saving people through faith in Jesus, I think we tend to believe that some people are harder to save than others—as though God is limited by some people’s backgrounds or besetting sins. His arm is a little weaker when it comes to this person or that person.”
Avian Deceptions
I enjoyed CMI’s little look at brood parasitism.
Everything is Ordinary, Everything is Wonderful
“When you really break it down, every single millimetre of this planet—this universe—is stuffed full of God’s wonders. The fact that he is so generous with his creative marvels does not make them less amazing, even if the abundance makes us less amazed (which is odd, isn’t it?).”
How I Became a Bush Pilot in Papua New Guinea
I quite enjoy these vlogs from “Missionary Bush Pilot.” His channel is worth following.
Love the Real Not the Ideal
Al Gooderham: “We all tend to idealise things: marriage, family, children, holidays, the seaside. Everything. It’s as if we have a filter on our memories and our hopes that means we only remember or imagine the best bits. Idealism isn’t bad but it can cause us to rear back when we find something isn’t ideal. It can cause us to react to reality by withdrawing rather than engaging.”
Enough with the Courses!
I wouldn’t go quite as far as Stephen, but I do think he raises some interesting points about evangelism training courses. “I think the plethora of courses add to the sense that we cannot do this. Their very existence suggests that there is some key to all this beyond just opening your mouth and speaking about Jesus. There is some special training that we require before we can share the gospel. There is some magic insight we must have before we can sit down with a Bible open and read it with someone. The courses add to the air of mystery, which increases the fear, that in turn makes us less likely to just get on and do it.”
Flashback: 2 Surefire Ways to Avoid Persecution
Christians know to expect suffering and persecution. The formula is simple: If the perfect and sinless Son of God suffered persecution, so too will his imperfect and sinful followers.

We must not offer people a system of redemption, a set of insights and principles. We offer people a Redeemer. —Paul David Tripp

A classic strategy in times of warfare is to dehumanize the enemy. No sooner has a conflict broken out than the two sides begin to refer to one another as animals rather than men, as mere creatures rather than human beings. It is difficult to harm another person and abnormal to kill one. Our humanity naturally rebels against it. But the challenge becomes easier when the enemy soldier is an animal instead of a man. After all, it is human beings rather than animals who have particular rights and dignities.

Similarly, a classic strategy in times of church conflict or theological debate is to demean the person who believes what you do not. Even if you do not quite regard the other person as an animal, you can regard him as a heretic or an enemy of the faith, as something other than a Christian. If the strategy of military leaders is to make their soldiers regard the enemy as less than human, the strategy of many believers is to regard their theological enemies as less than Christian. After all, the Bible provides clear instructions about the love, respect, and honor we owe to our fellow Christians. We permit ourselves to circumvent such instructions when the other person is an apostate or unbeliever.
In times of conflict or debate among those who profess the Christian faith, it is crucial to relate to others rightly. It is crucial to bear in mind who this person is and how God calls us to relate to him.
We need to bear in mind that this person is a human being. He has been created by God in the image of God and deserves all the dignity that comes with this highest of honors. God made man a little lower than the angels but much higher than any other created being. Of man alone he said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” To man alone he gave the creation mandate and dominion over this earth. God regarded man as a special creature and one of special worth. Surely we ought to do the same.
And then we must also consider that this person is God’s child. Not only has he been created by God in the image of God, but he has been saved by Jesus Christ and is being re-created in his image. He was loved by God before the ages began, saved by God when Christ died for his sins, and indwelled by God when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He has been adopted into God’s family and rightly considers God his Father. He is no longer under the dominion of Satan but is within the family of God—he is a precious child of our Heavenly Father.
That being the case, we need to also consider that this person is a brother. He is not a brother in a casual sense as if we are members of the same fan club or enthusiasts of the same hobby. He is a brother in a sense that is even more profound and longer-lasting than biology. We have the same Father and are therefore members of the same family—a family that has been called out of all humanity to be loved by God and to display the glory of God. The love, loyalty, and honor we owe to him is that of a brother to a brother.
And then we also need to consider that we will be in relationship with one another for all of eternity. The relationship we have now will continue past death and into endless life beyond. Of course it will be perfected and all will be reconciled and forgiven when we pass from earth to heaven. But there is a long and glorious future between us, a future in which we will live together forever, brothers who have been justified and glorified. God’s calling on all of us is to enact that relationship now, to begin to live on earth as if we were in heaven, to demonstrate heavenly virtues during our earthly lives.
And so in times of disagreement and times of debate, we must be careful to relate to one another in the ways God commands. We owe it to them and we owe it to Him to afford one another all the patience a human being deserves, all the dignity a child of God deserves, all the respect a brother deserves, and all the love deserved by a friend with whom we will spend all of eternity.