Derek Smith, Lead Pastor LHBC
2 Samuel 11:1-5
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
In 1969 Hurricane Camille barreled down on the southeastern coast of the United States. With sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, gusts over 200, and a maximum storm surge of 24 feet, this category 5 monster went down as the second most powerful hurricane in U.S. history. The massive storm made landfall in a small township called Pass Christian, Mississippi. Police Chief Jerry Peralta later told the story of pulling up to a posh apartment complex, the Richelieu Apartments, only to find a group of people having a “hurricane party” just hours before the storm was to make landfall. Despite his pleas for them to leave one of the tenants replied, “This is my land and if you want me off you’ll have to arrest me!” News reports later showed that the worst damage came straight through that little settlement of motels, go-go bars, and gambling houses where some twenty people were killed at that very hurricane party in the Richelieu Apartments. Nothing was left of that three-story structure but the foundation; the only survivor was a five-year-old boy found clinging to a mattress the following day.
The moral of the story is that you better make preparation if a storm is coming. King David had conquered the world. He killed the giant, was promoted to King, and conquered basically all his enemies. It was an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity for Israel….but danger lurked on the horizon. If we’re not careful, our greatest failures can come right on the heels of our greatest successes. David was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong attitude. He was supposed to be out at war, but he was laid up comfortably at the house and letting other men do the hard work. Because of his laziness as a leader he now was in a position to compromise. He stumbled upon a beautiful woman bathing, another man’s wife to be clear, and next thing you know he’s fully involved in sexual immorality, murder, and a nation-wide cover up.
The enemy knows exactly when and how to throw temptation at us. He knows when we are ripe for the picking. It’s imperative that we be where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there, and that we surround ourselves with accountability partners who will call us on the carpet when we start to get out of line. Scripture says to make no provision for the flesh. Never trust yourself. Don’t ignore the warning signs. Don’t throw a party when a hurricane is coming.
So, what attitudes, lifestyles, thoughts, or behaviors are in your life right now that could be leading you to disaster? As the Holy Spirit shows you things that need to be corrected, don’t hesitate. Don’t wait. Confess sin today, change your habits, and bring another godly person of the same gender into your life whom you can confide in. It’s of paramount importance.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Dear Lord, I know that I cannot trust myself. Forgive me for putting myself in situations or circumstances whereby I am prone to sin. Help me today to live soberly and wisely when it comes to my flesh. In Jesus name I pray, amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.