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, 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.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.
2 Samuel 11:2-4
See God’s Blessings
Daily Devotion – February 16, 2023
Devotion based on 2 Samuel 11:2-4
See series: Devotions
It started with an innocent walk on the roof. King David wanted some fresh air, and no better place for that than the roof of his palace. From there, he could see the heights to which he had climbed. He was no longer a forgotten shepherd boy toiling in the field with sheep. Now everyone knew King David. From his vantage point David could see the peace and prosperity his military victories had obtained.
King David was on top of the world. He could see it with his eyes. But those same eyes lingered too long where they shouldn’t have. That long look turned lustful. It could have ended there. David could have reminded himself that he was married. He found out that Bathsheba was married. He could have repented of his sin and turned away. He could have left Bathsheba alone and reminded himself of how richly God had blessed him. But he didn’t. And what happened next is one of the saddest chapters in the whole Bible. It reminds us of the power of sin; even a sin that starts small can snowball into sins with life changing consequences.
Like King David, our eyes are so quick to see what we don’t have instead of what we do have. We let our eyes linger on things for too long. We let our thoughts wander down destructive desires. We scheme up ways to fulfill sinful wants. And we quickly forget all that God has blessed us with.
We can fight the temptation to sin by reminding ourselves of the wonderful things that God has given to us. Remember the blessings that God promises to give to his people. And remember that the one making those promises, Jesus, is on your side.
Prayer:
Jesus, help me to fight temptation. Remind me of your love and your blessings. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
