December 6: Nathan

2 Samuel 7 & 12

Have you ever had to deliver bad news to someone? When I worked as a manager in corporate America, I had to fire people. It was a miserable job – particularly when the employee had worked on improving their performance without yielding the necessary improvement! Sometimes they ignored the signs of the impending “separation” and were caught unaware by the news of their dismissal. Those were the days that Pepto-Bismol was my drink of choice.

Nothing that I experienced could compare to the prophet Nathan. He was the mouthpiece of God during the reign of King David. Unfortunately, he was given the job of putting his finger directly on the great sin of David’s life: adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. No Pepto-Bismol could settle Nathan’s stomach that morning! The King was God’s man – and had to have his sin brought out into the light, repented of and atoned for.

We only know limited details of their fateful meeting, but most importantly, we do know the outcome. Psalm 51, the great song of a repentant heart, issued forth from the lips of the guilty king following his meeting with Nathan. Because of a faithful prophet, God’s man was cleansed and restored.

Just like Nathan, Jesus lived as the mouthpiece of God. Through his words, millions of people over 2,000 years have been cleansed, restored, and equipped for God’s heavenly kingdom.


Pastor Nancy Bontempo
Friends Community – Sturgeon Bay



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