July 17, 2022 . . .
King David is one of the most beloved characters in the Bible. I mean, look at him. He was a Shepherd. He was brave and courageous, in fact, while he was still a boy, he killed a lion and a bear who were trying to make off with his father’s sheep. As a teenager he defeated a giant who was more than nine feet tall with, of all things, a rock. He was a valiant warrior and a terrific king who was also a skilled musician and poet. Along with all of these wonderful qualities, David was also humble. He refused to harm a hair on the head of King Saul, God’s anointed, even though Saul was doing his best to kill David. The man David could be summed up in one phrase. The Bible tells us David was a “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). What a character reference from God Himself! But in spite of all David’s godly qualities, he wasn’t perfect, he was human. David had some warts. Perhaps the biggest of these warts is revealed in II Samuel Chapter 11. If you know much about the Bible at all, you know the story of David and Bathsheba. I’m not going to recap those tragic events here. However, we would all do well to refamiliarize ourselves not only with II Samuel Chapter 11, but with the next few chapters also. We should look at the different causes of David’s sins as well as the price he paid for committing them. What I WOULD like to do is ask this question . . . When did David sin? Because I am running out of room, I will give you the answer I am looking for. David sinned, not when he was weak, but when he was strong. Times of weakness both physically and spiritually bring their own temptations, but quite often our biggest temptation will come in a moment of strength. When we are celebrating on the mountaintop of victory, we had better be careful, because the temptation to sin will be on that mountaintop with us! The biggest temptation we face when we are strong is the sin of pride. Scripture tells us that pride comes before the fall, and we need to remember that. We can’t allow ourselves to think it wouldn’t happen to us because it happens to good, godly people every single day! Let’s be alert and aware, because rest assured, Satan will be!
Be blessed and be a blessing . . . Bro Andy
