2 minute read.
Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 10-12 GW; Psalms 51 GW
Everyone falters.
If people tell you they overcome all temptations, they’re lying. If someone says they have never succumbed to the lore of a guilty pleasure, don’t believe it. David, mightiest of kings, fell to the temptation of Bathsheba.
In his close walk with God, David faltered.
David’s reliance on God was much more literal than ours. Most of us don’t worry about how we are going to get our daily bread. In America, food is currently in abundance. We have programs to feed those in need, both governmental and non-profit. David didn’t live in the United States. He resided in the middle east, long before electricity, refrigeration, and grocery stores existed.
Daily bread meant growing, harvesting, thrashing, and baking it. David didn’t run into Walmart and pick up a loaf of bread. People in this culture appreciated their daily bread in ways we can’t understand. As a result, they had a much deeper reliance on God than we do today.
God was David’s best friend. David still fell. As humans, we all falter, which is why we need grace.
Grace is God’s solution.
Accepting the fact that you will falter is healthy. Perfection is unattainable without God.
David got Bathsheba pregnant. To cover up his sin, he tried to manipulate her husband into sleeping with her. However, the dedicated soldier that Uriah was, he refused to take pleasure when his men suffered. So David placed Uriah at the front of the battle lines, and he died. Then David took Bathsheba as his wife. David did pay the price for his actions. But God was still David’s best friend; He still loved him.
Temptation does have consequences. When we succumb, we’ll find out what those are. But that doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us anymore. No, God takes our mistakes and uses them for good. Somehow, someway, He always does.
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Lord, we love You! I love You! Thank You for loving us, for leading with grace when You sent Jesus. How amazing You are. Forgive us for deceiving ourselves into thinking we are infallible. Thank You for loving us enough to correct us. And for never leaving us, just like You never left David. Strengthen us for the journey today. Let us produce good fruit today. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
What’s your latest temptation?
