Daily Devotional for Monday, January 1

David’s Travail

“And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick,” 2 Samuel 12:15.

Sin has consequences. Nathan had prophesied to David in 2 Samuel 12:14, “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.” David’s sins did not just affect him. They affected Bath-sheba, her husband Uriah, some of the king’s servants and even the enemies of the Lord. The God of Israel would be the target of blasphemy because of the sinful deeds of David. Because of that, Nathan told David that the child conceived in adultery would die. Here was yet another person affected by the sinful acts of King David. Just like Uriah, this child was innocent. He did not deserve to die. But sin has consequences.

You may think your sins will not affect anyone but yourself. We are so selfish, we think everything revolves around us, including our sins. I have counseled people who struggle with addictions, and one common statement I hear is, “It is okay because I am not hurting anyone else.” But how many times has a drunk driver killed an innocent family? How many times has embezzlement shut down an entire corporation? Every time someone shoplifts even the smallest item, it causes prices to rise.

Sin can have a snowball effect. How often does a fender bender on an icy road lead to a massive pileup of cars? You may think that whatever wrong you are committing is inconsequential. You may think it only affects you. I imagine after David had Uriah killed he probably thought he was home free. He married Bath-sheba and was all set to live the life he wanted with the woman he wanted. But Nathan reminded David that many people had been negatively affected, and his testimony had also been damaged by his sin.

JUST A THOUGHT: Let your light shine before men. Do not get caught up in the darkness of sin.

Chris Floyd