Daily Devotional for Thursday, December 28

David’s Tragic Plan

“And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also,” 2 Samuel 11:17.

Our sin never just affects us. No matter what sin we commit, others around us will feel the weight of our decisions. We may not even know the effects our choices have on others until we get to Heaven. God gives us His Word as our instructions to follow and calls us to live sanctified lives so that we may avoid the natural consequences of sin and glorify Him with our lives.

David’s failed attempts at covering up his sin led him to a new level of desperation. He asked the captain of his army to now participate in this tragic orchestration (not to mention sending Uriah with his own death sentence sealed in a letter). Joab followed the orders of the king and sent Uriah to the front of the fiercest battle. In the midst of the battle, Uriah was killed. Not only that, but many men of David’s army also lost their lives. Men who had absolutely no part in the situation had their lives taken because Joab was focused on following David’s orders instead of winning the battle. He even told his messenger to use Uriah’s death to soften the blow when he told David about the battle. The man who was once so close to God and so empowered by the Spirit was now ordering the death of his servant. How easily we stray from God when we are not pursuing his righteousness and allow our sinful desires to push us into darkness. As believers, we are rescued from the eternal consequences of sin, but we will still experience the natural consequences here on earth, which affect others in our lives.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: May we draw close to the Lord and be controlled by the Spirit to resist the temptations of sin.

Ashley Ridings