It gave me a cold chill as I read it. In some ways I was reading it for the first time-even though the story of David and Bathsheba is one I'd heard ( quite literally) a thousand times...
Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
Oh SNAP! I thought....there it was the key to the whole thing ( lust, affair, murder...) right there in the first verse...a verse I'd probably grazed over to get to the "good stuff" many times.
"But David stayed at Jerusalem."
And it turns out, that verse is repeated verbatim again in 1 Chron. 20-which I just read tonight and it reminded me once again what it means to "stay in Jerusalem" when we know we shouldn't....
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I know lots of people think that Brett and I are crazy...he's crazy for being in the army, I'm crazy for being an army wife...but we've discussed many times how grateful we are that we have this "Force" in our lives that literally keeps us on our toes! For the most part I don't have to worry about being complacent! The army doesn't let it happen! And now, now that Brett is deployed I'm learning even MORE how danger it is to be complacent...I can't afford to not read the Word...I can't afford not to take time to pray and try and listen to God....because, honestly, if I don't I'd probably fall apart. Its a life application being lived out continually! And, to be honest, when Brett was around more it was MUCH easier to slip...to "get too busy" to do other things....and it took longer for the repercussions and the consequences to reveal themselves ( but, believe me they did!!). So, I'm actually grateful, in a way, for this time in which I'm *up to here* already and therefore I can see my great need a lot quicker!
Anyway, back to the staying in Jerusalem business....so yes, the army does in a way go ahead and do the hard part for us, we don't have to look for ways to get stretched and taken out of our comfort zones or step out in faith-its pretty much handed to us on a silver platter!
BUT, I think I forgot about the day to day decisions of whether or not I'll "stay in Jerusalem" or not...
Here was David all lordly and successful. In fact, things were going sooo well that he was 'satisfied' and in his 'satisfaction' he decided to laze around in Jerusalem while his general was out fighting his battles....and what befalls him?!
Temptation.
And what comes after that?!
All kinds of trouble!
How often do I, for whatever reason, get lazy and decide to stay put...to hang back....to let someone run off ahead ( and fight the good fight)....how often do I think, "Geez! I'm always at church! I'm always doing "Godly" things! It's time for a Break!"
Yes, more than I'd like to admit. So, turns out that while the Army helps us out with the Big Picture part of our lives, I'm in charge of the Details and the Day to Day.... and I've got a choice whether I'm going to stay put or not...
As for tonight, I've decided to go out and fight....
1 comment:
Is it cheesy to say that you inspire me?
Well, you do.
Growing a human is no time for complacency either. It's an easier time ... I mean, I'm tired. I want to go to bed. I'm growing a human over here, I'm busy! But it's not a good time to forget why I'm doing it .... in fact, probably one of the worst times for staying put (considering alllllllll the hormones falling apart happens more than I'd like to admit. Think back to how you felt when you were like 15 or 16. Yeah, that's me). Thanks for the reminder.
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