 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7 NIV
 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 NLT
 God calls His children to a life of faith and humility. He wants us to trust Him in the big and little things, and he is pleased when we give him glory. King David allowed Satan to influence his thinking and consequently his actions. David asked Joab to number the people.
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”1 Chronicles 21:1-2 NIV
You might ask, “What’s the harm in numbering the nation?” But God listens to the rhythm of our hearts. He peers into the center of our souls. We humans recognize some sins as serious, such as murder and adultery, but God saw David’s actions as impure. David could have sinned in one of two ways. Either he did not trust God to protect Israel or he brimmed with evil pride over the size of his army. Either way, he fell into Satan’s trap. It was the heart attitude of David rather than his act of counting the individuals that caused him to fall.
If David Displayed a Lack of Faith
Was David fearful that he did not have a strong enough army? If David lacked trust in God, he listened to Satan’s lie. Romans 14:23 says that everything that does not come from faith is sin. Scripture also says that without faith it is impossible to please the Lord.  The Lord punished David by sending a plague to the nation.
David did repent of his sin, and the plague was eventually stayed by God, but there were many casualties. What can we learn from this unusual story? Our lack of faith displeases our Father, and can cause us to do things that affect others. A lack of trust on our part can have a rippling effect. It can bring negative things in our lives and the lives of those around us.
What is the cure? First, we must repent or turn about face and ask for forgiveness. Next, we need to feed our faith with God’s word. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing God’s word. It is also beneficial for us to speak God’s word over our lives; this helps to build our faith. Finally, we must obey God, and expect Him to do what He says He will do in His word.
Faith is a choice. When we choose faith, we please God. The decision to walk by faith also has a rippling effect. Our faith not only blesses our lives, it blesses others as well. When we give in to fear, doubt, and worry, we can come to the Father and receive His love and forgiveness. Let’s allow our Lord to build us up in faith. As we act on this faith by trusting Him, we make our Father smile.
If David Grew Proud
Pride is the most insidious of sins. It is the flaw found in Lucifer’s heart before he was thrust out of heaven.  Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 NIV
When pride is on the throne, self reigns. Pride goes before a fall. David’s counting of the soldiers could have been born out of pride. It’s possible that he boasted in the size of his army.
We must guard our hearts from this enemy called pride. Its destructive qualities bring God’s judgment upon us. As with every sin, God offers mercy to us when we confess our faults to Him. When we walk in humility we make our Father smile. Let us be found with an apron of humility wrapped around us as we go about our day. Let’s learn to put our Lord and others before ourselves.
A Prayer to Make our Father Smile
Dear Father God,
I desire to please You, and I make a decision to walk by faith. It is my heartfelt hope to see You smile. Forgive me for doubting You at times. Help me to feed daily on Your written word so that my faith can be established. I also choose to be humble with your help. Forgive me for being prideful at times. Lord I love You and I choose to place my trust in You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Verses to encourage faith https://dailyverses.net/faith
Scriptures to foster humility https://www.openbible.info/topics/humility
Tom, thanks for your insights about pride in our lives. One thing that always impressed me with this event in David’s life, was that he refused to offer to God something that cost him nothing. In this case, Araunah’s threshing floor.
Amen. Thanks for your insight.