In the Doghouse?
I really enjoy the National Day Calendar website. I don’t know where they come up with all their crazy topics, but each day has it’s own designated themes and focus. For instance, yesterday was one of my favorite days to celebrate…. National Ice Cream Day!! [YUM!]
According to the website, the third Monday in July is now National Get-Out-of-the-Doghouse Day. This day is set for those who are in some trouble with someone and in need of forgiveness. It provides a few good tips for the doghouse resident to consider to make amends and redeem themself. The tips include:
Apologize with a face-to-face encounter or a hand-written note and avoid doing it via text.
Meet up at a restaurant to spur conversation. Choose to chit chat instead of being defensive or judgmental. Seek to discover abd understand the real reason you’re in the doghouse to begin with.
And finally, send a gift such as chocolates and flowers as a display of remorse.
Who was in the Doghouse?
As I read over the tips for getting out the doghouse, I thought to myself that these are viable options to consider when I’ve done something to upset or hurt someone, even possibly angered and frustrated them. I thought I would look into the Bible to find someone who ended up in the doghouse to discover just how they handled the situation.
King David instantly came to mind as someone who would be in the doghouse with God. David… the one man after God’s own heart, who would do His will (Acts 13:22). Generations of leaders in David’s linage were blessed “because [he] did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5). There it is…. that lingering transgression that continues to darken the memory and reputation of King David even until today.
But how did David handle the situation? Did he write God a note apologizing for his actions and send it along with a basket of Ghirardelli chocolates and fresh cut flowers? Did he meet up with God in the marketplace to chat about what he did? Did he acknowledge why he was in the doghouse and display any remorse? NO! In fact, he ignored his transgression until Nathan, a prophet sent by God, confronted David with a scenario of injustice of a rich man taking a pet lamb from a poor man and killing it. When David was outraged by the situation, he proclaimed death to the rich man. It was when Nathan stated, “You are the man!” that David realized and took responsibility for his actions. David also had to accept the severe consequences for his reprehensible behavior. I wonder if the punishment would have been as bad had David just fessed up?
It’s hard to face God when we have done something wrong. The Bible is full of individuals who tried to hide their sins… from Adam and Eve all the way through to the New Testament… there are scores of people living in doghouses. If we don’t take our sin to God and ask forgiveness, He just might send someone to us to set us straight like He sent Nathan to King David. (I may be a little bias since I’m a Pastor’s wife, but that person should be your pastor!!) If you’re familiar with the ABCs of salvation, you know the first step is to Admit or Acknowledge your sins. Face it…. God already knows anyway. No one can hide from Him. God, Himself, declared, “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? …… Do I not fill heaven and earth?…..” (Jeremiah 23:24).
King David wrote a psalm as a reflection of how he felt when he was silent in an attempt to keep his dirty little secret hidden. He was miserable!
“ 1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah ”
Do you have transgressions tucked away and hidden from God? Have you tried to keep your secrets a secret? I bet that deep down, you know He knows. And I bet you can feel the weight of guilt like a heavy hand upon your heart. You don’t need to be in the doghouse any longer! And you don't need a National Get-Out-of-the-Doghouse Day as a reason to make things right. Turn to God and seek forgiveness. He loves you and considers you His daughter. Whisper that word to yourself… daughter…. and draw close to Him, confess your sin, and feel the peace and blessing of His forgiveness!
