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.
“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. 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?” 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. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
A common characteristic of social media is that we typically post only those things that put us in a good light – vacations we’ve taken, promotions at work, weight loss, our kid’s achievements. I’m sure that if King David had indulged in a Facebook account, we would see posts about his mighty victories, the slaying of a giant, and lines from some of his most popular psalms. Of course, his relational status would read: “It’s Complicated.” But this part of David’s life would have been kept far away from the spotlight. It would have never made it to Instagram or on his Facebook timeline.
It’s been said that Idle hands are the devil’s tools. The narrator here makes sure to point out that David isn’t where he’s supposed to be. It seems he’s been resting on his past successes and has drifted from his calling and purpose to lead God’s people. It’s in this unguarded and lazy posture that David sets himself up for a very dark chapter in his life. It’s in this state that he begins to make one poor choice after another. Like falling down a flight of stairs, the eventual stop at the bottom is going to end in a lot of pain and brokenness.
When a person hits bottom, one of the common questions is, “how did I get here?” This type of trip isn’t made in one or two steps. Instead, it begins with an unguarded and unfocused attitude.
As Cain began to ruminate and compare his offerings with that of his brother Abel’s, God noticed his attitude and gave him a warning. “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
A lazy and unfocused mindset can leave us unaware of the Enemy sneaking from behind, ready to give a nudge down those stairs.
A few weeks ago, we talked about the significance of what we do in the ordinary days of our life. “What we do in our shepherding days directly impacts the outcome of our giant fighting days.” David had grown lax and squandered his normal days. And now he was about to be clobbered by a giant of his own making.
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following items:
- How important is mindset? How does your mindset prepare you for victory or defeat?
- Look up Romans 12:1-2. How does this passage relate to today’s text?
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you?
Explain – what does the passage mean?
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today?
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Jon Price, Associate Pastor