I get a peaceful easy feelin’
And I know you won’t let me down
‘Cause I’m already standin’
On the ground

And I found out a long time ago
What a woman can do to your soul
Aw but she can’t take you any way
You don’t already know how to go
The Eagles 1972

Isn’t that enough – a feeling of peace?

If you have ever read about the exploits of King David in the Old Testament Scriptures you probably know some of the more famous stories about him…
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• He was the man who struck down the giant Goliath and then chopped off his head with the giant’s own sword.
• He lived in desert caves while he was hunted for years by the murderous King Saul.
• He was a prolific songwriter, a public dancer and blood-thirsty warrior.

But I will bet the story you know more than any other is about his adulterous tryst with the beautiful Bathsheba. One afternoon when he should have been fighting, he was playing the peeping Tom and saw her bathing on the roof … and he wanted her badly. So he had her come to his apartment for an amorous secret meeting and indulged in his more baser instincts.

Why are our baser instincts so compelling?

Some people call what David did “sin”, and even the prophet Nathan says to David, “You are the man!” – the one who offended God and deserved to die. But c’mon, we all know these were two, of age, consenting adults. And like the Eagles’ song says, he was standing on solid ground —  for when David was sleeping with Bathsheba he had a ‘peaceful easy feeling’ about it.

Isn’t that enough? A feeling of Peace? We all know ‘peace’ is a sure indication God is pleased or at least o.k. with your choices. Isn’t ‘having peace’ about something the way to determine God’s will? “Hey man, I’m doing it because I have peace about it!”

Peace is the magic “Get out of jail free” card for every wandering heart!

Well, how do I know David was at peace you may wonder? If you read the rest of the story, right after David slept with Bathsheba she was found to be with child. A tell-tale sign they did have sex – remember, your sin is sure to find you out. To hide it David had her husband Uriah taken from the front lines of war to have him over for some heavy drinking, get him all liquored up, barn-dog drunk, so he would go home and sleep with her and hopefully, David could place the pregnancy on him.

The problem for David was that Uriah was a noble man and he wouldn’t drink while his buddies were dying in battle. Plan A didn’t work, but that didn’t stop David.

Plan B, David had him sent to the fiercest part of the front lines so he was sure to die. And, surprise, surprise, Uriah died. Bathsheba mourned, and after that – get this – David married the dead man’s wife and was happy about it! Now that is what I call having peace!

Why do we think we can discern the will of God through peace? And what does it even mean to have peace? Is it when no lightning bolts are shooting? No hurricane winds are blowing? No broken bones or cancer? No immediate wrath of God?

That isn’t peace, it’s called mercy! And mercy’s intent is to cause us to repent: “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgement is revealed.” (Romans 2:4-5)

Ironically God told David after all this peace happened, “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” In other words, he would never be at peace again. Have you ever noticed that having peace “now” never guarantees having peace “later”?

As I write this the people in Corpus Christi, Texas are bracing for a monster storm, 110 mph winds, 35+ inches of rain, —  but last night the weather there was great. I checked it, 80 degrees with clear skies. They were at peace…but not today…they are singing the Eagles’s song a little differently:

I don’t have a peaceful, easy feeling
And I feel like I’m gonna drown
‘Cause I’m already standin’
On flooded ground…