March 15

2 Samuel 11-12

“People never crumble in a day.” These are words of truth from the Casting Crown’s song “Slow Fade”. We have talked about this song before. We have even posted it previously on shygbible, but today’s reading illustrates this point beautifully.

The song continues, “Be careful little eyes what you see. It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings.” David’s second glance (after he saw something he shouldn’t have seen, and he should have looked away) started him down a very sad path. This path led to compromise … which led to sin … which led to more sin to cover up the first sin. It was a domino effect.

It all started with a second glance, then the temptation set in and the desire of the heart changed from what God wanted to what David wanted. His heart was not receptive to the LORD, and David pursued his desires and took what he wanted. Then the cover up started. Kind of reminds you of Adam and Eve in the garden…

Then Nathan comes and points out exactly what David had become: lustful, greedy, envious, murderous, deceitful, arrogant, inventing ways of doing evil, senseless, heartless, ruthless, … (see Romans 1:28-32). David had exchanged the truth of God for a lie. And Nathan explains that there will be punishment for David’s disobedience. “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you.”

When David realized this, he repented. He recognized that what he had done was wrong and that he had gone against God. He was truly sorry and wanted to be different. This is such an important part of being a “man after God’s own heart”.

Read Psalm 51. It is a familiar Psalm, but think about the circumstance David was in when he wrote this Psalm.

The result?

“The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.”

And here lies the tough reality of it all. Yes, when we repent of our sin before God, He forgives our sin. He takes it away, and we avoid spiritual death … BUT the harsh reality is that there are still consequences of our sin that we have to live with. Broken hearts, broken families, hurt people are left in the wake of sin. Choose carefully your actions each day. Do not exchange God’s truth for a lie.

Adam Palmer, the author of The High School Survival Guide, says “The first wrong turn isn’t the one that gets you lost – it is just the one that starts you down the road to lostness.”

What road are you on?
Guard yourself – don’t allow yourself to take the second glance.
Have you compromised who you are?
Have you exchanged the truth of God for a lie?
Can you relate to Psalm 51? Claim it as your plea to God if you find that you have fallen into temptation and ended up in a chain of sin. Although we have to deal with the consequences, there is forgiveness and life through Jesus.