It is the mercy of God to refuse to allow one of His children to prosper when they are living in sin. God works to break us off from that which is harming our soul. He begins by moving gently to free us from sin, and if we cooperate there, it will be a beautiful liberation. Yet not all of His children cooperate with His gentle actions. Some cling to their sin, and because of that God must act more forcefully. This is the case with King David when he had refused to acknowledge his hidden sins connected to Bathsheba. This episode in David’s life teaches us that God will pardon us when we repent, but not all the consequences are necessarily avoided. When we do not respond to the gentle hand of God, we will experience the firm hand of God. There can be fallout from our failures. We must remember, however, that the firm hand of God is always connected to the loving heart that is committed to break us away from the sins which harm us.