2 Samuel 11:1-5, 14-16 (ESV)

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.”

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.

Explanation:

Technology has changed quite significantly in my lifetime. Looking back, I remember there were many times when pieces of technology were jam packed full of wires and cords. It seemed like you needed about a gazillion specialized cords just to get one piece of tech up and running. If your home was anything like mine, you probably also had a box for any extra, spare, or old cords that were not currently in use. Any time you needed anything from that box, what you would always find was a jumbled nest of cords all woven together in some intricate puzzling way that would require a degree from Harvard to figure out how to untangle. I never understood how something could go into that box all neatly wound up, and over time end up like it did.

This is the image I get when I reflect on the complicated mess that sin creates in our lives. On occasion, I find myself unrealistically expecting that sin should be something easy to identify, withstand, and overcome. Yet, it turns out to be quite the opposite. Often, sin makes a jumbled mess of our thoughts and actions, and can become such an ingrained part of our living that we fail to even recognize its impact. We can become so tangled in our sinful mess that it can feel impossible to right.

King David, who we read about today in our Scriptures, found himself in one of these jumbled messes. What started off as one sin soon escalated into numerous sins, which entangled every part of his life. In the book of James, we get such a clear description of the progression of sin in one’s life. James 1:14-15 says, “[E}ach person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his OWN desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (emphasis added). I capitalized the word “own” on purpose, because it shows us that sin is a very unique, personal thing to each and every one of us. The same was true for King David. Sin brought spiritual and physical death to his life, and to his relationships with God and others. It is a very vivid picture of how sin can weave itself into our lives and leave us a bundled mess. However, like He did for David, God offers us an untangling hope through His grace and mercy. We must choose, though, to walk in the ways that He offers.

Action Steps:

1. Dedicate some time today during your lunchtime to have a conversation with God about your sin. Use this time to do the following:

a. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unknown sin to you.

b. Confess your sin to God.

c. Tell Jesus that you receive His mercy for your sin.

d. Ask God to help you determine through His Spirit and Scripture how to repent from your sin.

Prayer:

Lord, You know exactly what it is like to be tempted by sin. Lord, You know my heart and my sinful desires. I am not alone in my sin. You not only have forgiven my sin when I confess it to You, but You also have grace to show me how to be more sanctified like You. Lord, help me to remember what James said about sin. Make my mind sensitive to the moments when I am tempted, and help my heart choose to follow You over sin. Thank You for Your grace and mercy.