10 But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him.  And he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please  forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing this foolish thing.”  11 The next morning the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, who was  David’s seer. This was the message: 12 “Go and say to  David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of  these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’” 

[2 Samuel 24:13-15]

13 So Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose three years of  famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or  three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide  what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.” 14 “I’m in a  desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of  the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.” 15 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel that  morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout  the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.

God takes sin more seriously than we do.

God will discipline you in the area of your life where you least  trust in him.

[2 Samuel 24:16-17]

16 But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented and  said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of  the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David  saw the angel, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done  wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what  have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.” 

Discipline only lasts as long as our disobedience.

[2 Samuel 24:18-19]

18 That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to  the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up  to do what the Lord had commanded him.

[2 Samuel 24:20-21]

20 When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and  bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 21 “Why have you come, my  lord the king?” Araunah asked. David replied, “I have come to buy your  threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the  plague.” 22 “Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to  David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing  boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. 23 I will give it all to  you, Your Majesty, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice.” 

Obedience becomes worship, when it’s freely given.

[2 Samuel 24:24-25]

24 But the king (David) replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not  present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So  David paid him fifty pieces of silver[f]for the threshing floor and the oxen. 25 David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and  peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague  on Israel was stopped. 

Your first fruits are a trail to your treasure.

[Matthew 6:19-21]

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust  destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in  heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and  steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 

Your treasure is a trail to your heart.