May 27

2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 tell the same sobering story: David orders a census of Israel's fighting men—a decision that seems strategic but is rooted in pride and self-reliance. Instead of trusting in God’s promise and power, David leans on numbers and might.

Immediately after the census, David’s conscience is stricken. He confesses:  “I have sinned greatly in what I have done… I have acted very foolishly.” (2 Samuel 24:10)

God gives David a choice of judgment, and David falls into the hands of God, knowing His mercy is greater than man's cruelty. But notice what happens next: when David is instructed to build an altar, he insists on paying the full price.

“I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) This is more than repentance—it’s worship. David moves from pride to humility, from counting people to depending on God. He ends not with strength in himself, but sacrifice and surrender to God.

In Romans 4, Paul reminds us that our righteousness does not come from what we do or how well we perform. It comes through faith—just like Abraham:  “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) David’s census was about performance, but Paul points us back to promise. We are made right with God not by our figures, efforts, or spiritual “track record,” but by trusting in what He has done.

The question is not: “Have I done enough?”
The question is: “Am I trusting in the One who already has?”

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