Causing death

David said to the messenger, ‘Encourage Joab and tell him not to be upset, since you never can tell who will die in battle. Tell him to launch a stronger attack on the city and capture it.’ When Bathsheba heard that her husband had been killed, she mourned for him. When the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to the palace; she became his wife and bore him a son. But the Lord was not pleased with what David had done. (verses 25-27)

Read 2 Samuel 11:1-27

The temptation for us in today’s reading is to see David’s devious plan and action and condemn it as if we were God. We are also tempted to note and condemn the evils of the world today: envy, greed, covetousness, adultery.

In our hasty judgments we fail to see that each time we act contrary to what pleases the Lord, when we use force to achieve our own ends, when we try to hide the self-indulgence that ignores the needs of others and idolises self, we too cause the death of innocent people.

God is not pleased with what we do. We need to turn to him for mercy. He is ready to forgive us, to restore us and to change our hearts.

In your mercy forgive me, Lord, every use of power to achieve my own ends. Encourage me to be ready at all times to do what pleases you in the battle of life. I thank you that you cover my sin and give me victory through Jesus Christ. Amen.

by Eunice Freiberg in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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