47 Days of Justice 2024 - Day 4: Don’t look away from what is right.
- araratchurch
- Jun 2, 2024
- 2 min read
“In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.”
2 Samuel 11:1-2 NLT
When you get weary in what you’re doing, you become easy prey for something else to catch your eye. And, that something else is rarely going to be an impetus toward getting you back into action for what is right.
Indeed, things pursued as a result of battle fatigue (and pursuing what is right is often a battle), generally only serve to distract from what is most important.
Yesterday we looked at the fact that King David had apparently become weary with battle. Rather than going to war—as was his usual practice—he stayed at home to “rest.” Today we see that something else will capture his attention. Something not right, something not good, something not just, will be presented to David and he will step out onto that slippery slope we were discussing yesterday.
On that note, King David, walking on the palace roof, sees Bathsheba taking a bath (actually, a ceremonial cleansing related to her menstrual cycle). As we have noted, he is (apparently) weary of war, weary of struggling, and “needs” a distraction. But, beware! If you “need” a distraction, the devil will see to it that you find one of his making.
Yes, being distracted from what is right, always leads to calamity.
“This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.”
Jeremiah 17:5 NLT
There’s just something about spiritual “inertia” that begs a prod toward evil. That is why it is so very important to guard the state of your heart, never letting it look away from what is right, never looking away from the Lord.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Proverbs 4:23 NLT
If King David had been doing as he always did—leading his men in battle—he would not have had the opportunity to let something else catch his eye. But, he was at ease, and everything was about to change for him as he slides into doing the unthinkable.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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