A small thing that is a BIG DEAL!
II Samuel 11
The story of King David and Bathsheba is a tough one to process. Why? It’s not just because of the adultery and murder; it’s the fact that we know some powerful things about this King David who committed adultery and murder. We know that God rejected Saul and chose David, because He “sought Him a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14)…” And so the struggle is, picturing a man after God’s own heart falling so far. This same David who wrote beautiful and prophetic Psalms has somehow succumb to a very dark place, and because of this we must ask the question…how is this possible.
It would be easier to swallow if David had raised the taxes really high to build a third home for himself. But no, it’s much worse than that. The same heart that was after God’s own heart is now at a place where it is planning and scheming to commit adultery, cover it up, and murder Uriah. It was almost like a bad daytime soap opera. It was a progression of events each one getting bigger and bigger. And here lies the key to understanding how any one of us could find ourselves in this same predicament. It started small! It started with the King not being where he should be.
It started small for David, and it can start small for us. Maybe it’s watching something we normally wouldn’t watch, because we are tired and we need a break. Or maybe it’s following someone on social media that we probably shouldn’t. Maybe it’s the rolling of our eyes in contempt towards a coworker. You fill in your own blank! We all have a blank that we fill in when we get tired or too casual in our walk with the Lord. And so it was for David, for whatever reason, he decided to stay in Jerusalem during “the time when kings go out to battle.”
So, what do we take away from this text? The potential to do some really great things, and the potential to do some really horrible things are both in all of us. And when a person truly understands this they will pay very close attention to the small minute details of this life. The fact that you decided not to get up and pray… can be a big deal. The fact that you called in sick to work when you really weren’t sick can be a big deal. The fact that you read your Bible every day consistently is a big deal! The fact that you pray every day for your spouse and children is a small thing that is a BIG DEAL!
Lord, help me be aware of the fact that life is full of small things that are a BIG DEAL. Amen
The story of King David and Bathsheba is a tough one to process. Why? It’s not just because of the adultery and murder; it’s the fact that we know some powerful things about this King David who committed adultery and murder. We know that God rejected Saul and chose David, because He “sought Him a man after His own heart (I Samuel 13:14)…” And so the struggle is, picturing a man after God’s own heart falling so far. This same David who wrote beautiful and prophetic Psalms has somehow succumb to a very dark place, and because of this we must ask the question…how is this possible.
It would be easier to swallow if David had raised the taxes really high to build a third home for himself. But no, it’s much worse than that. The same heart that was after God’s own heart is now at a place where it is planning and scheming to commit adultery, cover it up, and murder Uriah. It was almost like a bad daytime soap opera. It was a progression of events each one getting bigger and bigger. And here lies the key to understanding how any one of us could find ourselves in this same predicament. It started small! It started with the King not being where he should be.
It started small for David, and it can start small for us. Maybe it’s watching something we normally wouldn’t watch, because we are tired and we need a break. Or maybe it’s following someone on social media that we probably shouldn’t. Maybe it’s the rolling of our eyes in contempt towards a coworker. You fill in your own blank! We all have a blank that we fill in when we get tired or too casual in our walk with the Lord. And so it was for David, for whatever reason, he decided to stay in Jerusalem during “the time when kings go out to battle.”
So, what do we take away from this text? The potential to do some really great things, and the potential to do some really horrible things are both in all of us. And when a person truly understands this they will pay very close attention to the small minute details of this life. The fact that you decided not to get up and pray… can be a big deal. The fact that you called in sick to work when you really weren’t sick can be a big deal. The fact that you read your Bible every day consistently is a big deal! The fact that you pray every day for your spouse and children is a small thing that is a BIG DEAL!
Lord, help me be aware of the fact that life is full of small things that are a BIG DEAL. Amen
by Marc Stern
Posted in Read Through the Bible
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