The Lord said to Gad, David’s prophet, "Go and tell David that I am giving him three choices. I will do whichever he chooses." The next morning, after David had gotten up, Gad went to him, and asked, "Which is it to be? Three years of famine in your land or three months of running away from your enemies or three days of an epidemic in your land? Now think it over, and tell me what answer to take back to the LORD."

David answered, "I am in a desperate situation! But I don’t want to be punished by men. Let the LORD himself be the one to punish us, for he is merciful." So the LORD sent an epidemic on Israel, which lasted from that morning until the time that he had chosen. From one end of the country to the other seventy thousand Israelites died. When the LORD’s angel was about to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD changed his mind about punishing the people and said to the angel who was killing them, "Stop! That’s enough!" The angel was by the threshing place of Araunah, a Jebusite.

David saw the angel who was killing the people, and said to the LORD, "I am the guilty one. I am the one who did wrong. What have these poor people done? You should punish me and my family."

2 Samuel 24:11-17

God allows us to be tested, but never beyond what we can endure. David erred, and 70,000 Israelites died, but the country survived. The Lord punished the guilty but also showed His mercy. God’s ways may be beyond our understanding, but we can always trust Him to do what is right.

God may conceal the purpose of His ways,

but His ways are not without purpose.

Our Daily Bread – February 4, 2003