THEN IT HAPPENED

These are the first 3 words from II Samuel 11:2 (NKJV).  As I have been preparing this week for my
Sunday School lesson on David and Bathsheba these words caught my heart and I've had a hard time getting past them.

So I want to share them with you all and maybe then I can move on the the real lesson.
However, these words are probably the "real" lesson for me individually.  When something
jumps out at you... it's usually what the Lord wants you to see.

This phrase is used 3 times in some form in the 11th chapter of II Samuel
 so that's a good indication that it is important.

In David's case he had just come home from many successful battles and life was good.
The only problem he was not where he was supposed to be.  You see the springtime was when kings went to war and David chose to stay home.
                                                 THEN IT HAPPENED!!
Things are great, all is well.  It's all good.  Life can't get any better.
                                                  THEN IT HAPPENED!!
If you know the story, you know that "IT" was David's gross sin with Bathsheba that
ultimately led to the breaking of 4 of the 10 commandments and this by the greatest king
Israel ever had... and "a man after God's own heart".

           But this is not the way THEN IT HAPPENED always is.  It could be that life is
as bad as we think it could possibly get.  Kids are driving us crazy to the point that we might
be even considering our sanity in even wanting them in the first place;
 or maybe you 're wondering whether the house note will be paid this month,
 or if it's really going to be beans & rice forever; or maybe your health is failing
or your marriage seems to be over.  Hang on THEN IT HAPPENED could be just around
the next dawn.

Something happened to change everything.  This is the way it was with David. His willful sin changed everything forever.  Forgiven yes, praise God yes, but the consequences lasted the rest of his life.

But God also changes our bad times too--just because He can & because He wills.  Have you ever had that experience?  You thought that life would never be any better and
                                                     THEN IT HAPPENED???
Night was turned into glorious day and everything changes? It might be that all that changes is
your attitude or perspective, but nevertheless life is abundant instead of redundantly unbarable.

I'd like to hear your    THEN IT HAPPENED  whether good or bad.
Because you see I happen to believe that we've all got some good & bad
                                   THEN IT HAPPENED-S
We must encourage each other and sharing our life experiences will do just that.