“In the spring at the time when kings go off to war, …. David remained in Jerusalem.” 2 Samuel 11:1
How can God seeing our struggle with our desires help us to seek Him in times of temptation? Not once but for the third time has God drawn my attention to the cover of David’s sin with Bathsheba in the past few weeks. Why draw my attention to David? David was a good guy- a man who loved God and sought to do what it is right and work for the greater good day in and day out.
The Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart. I think that God wants to show us from this story that the best of us fall. Yes, we fall and we fail: no one is immune from failure. Most sermons on David and Bathsheba do not mention David’s sin until he slept with Bathsheba. Let’s take a step back. Sin begins well before sleeping with her. I do not think that David woke up that morning and thought I am going to sleep with another man’s wife. Sin is more subtle and progressive. 2nd Samuel 11:1 tells us that David remained in Jerusalem when kings go off to war.
Why is this so significant? David was supposed to be at war, not at home. He was probably so exhausted in every way and lonely, so it seemed natural to stay home instead of going out to war. When we are tired, we are more vulnerable to temptation. He never would have dreamed that staying at home would have lead to so much sin and the death of one of his closest friends. Being in the wrong place reveals more the condition of his heart. Had he been talking to God about his loneliness and exhaustion would Bathsheba have been so enticing? We are most vulnerable when we are not open with God about our struggles and desires. If we are not seeking God to fill and fulfill those desires, then we will try to meet them in the way that we want.
Have you been to the wrong place too, and it led to a heap of trouble? Our first reaction is to say that I wish that I had never been there. We shift the blame to going there or another person. We can go back to a place that we had a bad experience another time and have a good experience. Why is that? It is not about the location, but who you seek in that place: Do you seek God to fill your desires, or do seek to fulfill your desires in your way and in your time? We can trust that God sees our desires and failures and will help us to align our desires with His and forgive our failures.
– Mary Carmen
