2 Samuel 12:22-23

“And he said, ‘While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?” But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.'”

David and Bathsheba found themselves face to face with a parent’s worse nightmare. Their child was diagnosed with a terminal illness for which modern medicine had no answer. Like any of us, David was devastated, he would not eat or sleep, and those closest to him began to worry about what he might do to himself. When the sickness reached the end, and the child passed, David’s behaviors changed dramatically; he showered, ate, and worshipped. When questioned about the sudden change, he declared, 

“While the child was alive, I fasted…

2 Samuel 11:2
“Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.”

David is one of the most famous men in history. He was a gifted singer, song writer and musician. By today’s standards, he would be considered a superstar. He was also a war hero, who led armies to great victory. No doubt, in that era, David would experience the same treatment as our most famous athletes. His popularity spread throughout the nation, so much so, that songs were being written about him. After reading of a lifetime of successes, we come to a striking passage where we read,

“. . . it happened one evening. . .”

One evening forever changed the life of David. What a different…

Psalms 40:1-3

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth — Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.”

Without giving us the details, David describes the condition of his life as being in a horrible pit of miry clay. A mire is an area of wet spongy earth, like a bog or marsh. David was saying he was stuck in a very difficult place, and it seemed as though there was no escape. Unfortunately, life can be like that. Even when we are walking with the Lord, we come to times of great difficulties that seem to carry on…

2 Samuel 10:12
“Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”

It is easy to become weary in the service of the Lord. This is especially true when it seems we have failed. David sent a group of men as ambassadors of Israel to King Hanun of Ammon. He desired to show kindness to the king after the loss of his father, Nahash. What seemed to be a relatively easy mission, turned out to be an embarrassing failure. Instead of being met with kindness, these men were treated with contempt. King Hanun’s men shaved off half their beards, and cut their robes so that their buttocks hung out, then sent them home in shame. Ammon’s actions were such as to incite war and Joab led the charge…

2 Samuel 9:8

“Then he bowed himself, and said, ‘What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?'”

Years ago I heard the phrase, “There are three of you; the you you think you are, the you others think you are, and the you God knows you are.” I think this is fitting as it relates to Mephibosheth. He was a young man who had a difficult life that caused him to devalue himself greatly. 

Mephibosheth was the son of Prince Jonathan, and had Saul’s dynasty continued, he would have been in line to be a king. Sadly, because of his grandfather’s disobedience, and the rebelion of his uncle, Ishbosheth, Mephibosheth become a fugitive. He was a child when Ishbosheth took the throne, and was forced to flee in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, under the cloak of darkness, he fell and injured himself. From…

Psalms 37:31 

“The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”

I am a sports fan. I enjoy watching a variety of athletics, and am always fascinated when an athlete achieves victory, almost effortlessly. No matter what the opponents do, they are unable to stop him. Over the years I have come to understand that those who seem to win with the least effort, are really the ones who have put in the most effort. They are the ones who are first in the gym and last out. Their diets, workouts, sleep patterns, even off days, are regimented so as to keep them in the best possible condition for victory.

The same is true of the child of God. If we want to have success in our walk with the Lord, we need to be willing to invest time with the Lord. David…

2 Samuel 8:2

“Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.”

During the reign of Saul, Israel faced constant attack from within and without. From within they faced uprisings from the Philistines, while beyond their borders, they were threatened by Moab, Ammon, and Syria. Saul’s foreign policy was to react to attacks as they came; once an enemy showed signs of attacking the armies of Israel, they would respond. David had a different approach. He decided to go on the offensive and remove the threats once and for all, even drawing a line in the sand to make his stance very clear. 

David’s model serves as a good example for…

2 Samuel 7:18
“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?”

Reflecting upon the Lord, and what He has done for you, is a valuable asset to your walk with God. David thought back to the time when he was the forgotten son of Jesse, caring for a few sheep in the outskirts of Bethlehem. His memory was flooded with the call God placed upon his life, and the amazing way he climbed from shepherd to king. His story is one filled with times of tremendous faith, as well as bouts of weakness and yielding to the flesh. Through all of his experience, David would say “. . . O Lord, You have brought me this far.”

Take some time this morning to reflect upon the Lord…

Psalms 36:1

“An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.”

This Psalm is written as a result of David’s meditation upon what motivates people to sin. It seems to me, if we can understand what leads to sinning, we can avoid a lot of pitfalls. According to David, the number one reason for sinning, is “there is no fear of God”. To fear God means to be more concerned with pleasing God, than pleasing self or others. When a person puts God first in their life, and seeks to do what pleases Him, he will avoid much of what leads to sin.

Failing to fear God resulted in some of the worst decisions recorded in the Bible. King Saul trespassed on the role of the priest and offered unholy sacrifice; this sin cost him the kingdom. When…

2 Samuel 6:16

“Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.”

Looking back on the history of Israel, there are certain days that stand out above others. The day Abraham received the covenant, the day Israel was set free from Egypt, the day Joshua led the nation across the Jordan, are but a few of the nation’s highlights. I don’t think it a stretch to add the day the Ark of the covenant was delivered to Jerusalem. This was a day of national celebration, including music, dancing, feasting and sacrifice. It seems, the whole city turned out for this festive celebration. There was no doubt a buzz of excitement in the air as people celebrated the goodness of God, and made public…