Passage of the Day:
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant,” 2 Samuel 11:1-5.
Reflection:
All Christians will experience some sort of spiritual boredom in their lives. From a modern perspective, this may include staying up late scanning the internet or watching television. My neighbor’s mom warned me growing up of the boob tube, when you turn off your mind and veg in front of a television screen. As for King David, he decided to take a few months off of work. Rather than led the Israeli army off to war, David suddenly had plenty of idle time to explore. When you’re not where God wants you to be, poor choices often follow. Subsequently, a man after God’s own heart is about to do the unthinkable, commit adultery and murder. This is a byproduct of becoming too overconfident, thinking, “this could never happen to me.”
Prayerful Action:
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.
Setting Clear Boundaries to Live By:
David’s son Solomon writes 4 times in the book of Proverbs “pride comes before the fall.” It’s unclear if the Holy Spirit revealed this spiritual truth or if Solomon’s father David passed on this important message. Regardless of the origins of this warning, pride blinds Christians from the reality of their spiritual condition. When you don’t have a friend, fellow believer or neighbor who is painfully honest with you, pride gives birth to overconfidence. Whatever your earthly job title may be, humble yourself before the Lord so that your trust remains in God, not in your own strength.
Song of the Day:
I was introduced to today’s song while spending my college summers living in Ohio. Thanks to a large Christian bookstore south of Cleveland, Send the Beggar quickly became one of my favorite groups. The next time you sense a spirit of over confidence filling your soul, watch out that you don’t become tangled with the error of sin.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 