The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1952-09-06

DAYS OF David show us how even a
man who has sinned can rise again;
how even an ageing man can grow
in soul.
Signs of Growth
MOT THAT man has to sin as
David did in order to grow. In
order to be healthy it is not neces-
sary to be half-dead with ever first:
yet even after long stay in the
sanitarium 1t Is possible for man
to make his way to full health and
strength.
Now David, though he fell,
did not blind his soul with
clay" The experience struck
down his pride; he realized with
shame what he had done. Some
men must wake bitterly to the
fact OF their own weakness be-
fore they can begin to take hold
OF Gods strength. At any rate,
we can see signs of growth In
David's soul.
One OF these signs is humility be.
fore God. Take the story of his
flight from his capital. for example.
He could have hardly been In a
worse state. His loved son Absalon
hac become rebel, his throne was
In danger, his friends were turning
against him, even his life was not
safe. Another man might have COM
united suicide, or sat In his de-
serted palace bitterly awaiting the
end. Another man might have re.
turned SINNERS foul language, curse
for curse.
But David moves through all this
as a man who realizes he deserves
his troubles, knows it is God who is
bringing these hard things to pass,
and bows humbly under whatever
God sends. His kingdom was shrink
ing. but his soul was growing again.
Is the Young Man Safe?
III MOTHER plain sign Of inward
q growth was David's attitude to
his bad son Absaiom. That young
man had ceased to be a son, but
the old man did not cease to be a
father. The young man would have
stopped at nothing. he would have
killed his father without hesitating.
in order to gain the kingdom for
himself. But David was willing to
lose the kingdom. if by so doing he
could keep from losing his son.
General Joab, a professional
killer, could sec no point In
Davit's generosity. He believed q,
David should be king first and
father afterwards. 1t was
Joab who against David's strict
orders finally killed AbsaIom.
But in death as in life. David loved
that wild young man. No more tragic
scene is found in history than
David's lament, would God l had
died for thee, A Absalom, my son.
my son. 1t does not sound like
lament for dead enemy, and il
was not; it was fathers grief for
his son. The grief came late; David
should long before those days have
remembered his duty as a father to
Absalom. But late though it was.
David's tears show that in him his
soul still grew.
No Cheap Sacrifice
NNE OTHER sign of soul-growtb
comes to the surface: a single
sentence from David on the day
when ne bought the land where the
temple was to be built. The owner
Oman (Araunah) would have given
the land free; but David insisted on
paying the full value. al will not Of
fer burnt offerings unto the Lord
my God which cost me nothing" ne
said.
No one would have blamed
him for taking advantage Of the
owner, cutting the price little.
When david was younger man
he might have done IL; but not
now. No one else would know IL.
perhaps; but God would know II.
1t was . sign that David was no
longer the hah-grown soul ne had
once been. For man never really
grows up till he does what he does.
not because OF fear, OF ambition, or
reputation, nor for any reason but
because he knows how God lie 60
ing to look ct 1t.
NOTICE - The TRIBUNE