(2 Sam 11:1 NLT) 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.
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” I started this series teaching on the grace of God and how amazing it is. I then taught through many of the miracles of Jesus, highlighting grace along the way. From there I told you I was going to take you on a journey through the lives of the three main authors of the Bible — Moses, David and Paul — and I was going to discuss God’s grace in their lives; especially since all three were murderers. By acknowledging the fact that the three main who were used of God to pen the majority of God’s Holy Scripture, we also men who had committed heinous and unholy acts, we can do nothing but appreciate the Grace of God. We already looked at the life of Moses, we are looking at the life of David, and we will soon look at the life of Paul.
I have taken you on a journey with David, from the time he was called out of the field to be anointed by the prophet Samuel, to what we just covered yesterday, all with the intent of getting to this chapter. This is the chapter where King David has the infamous encounter with Bathsheba. After sending Commander Joab and his brother Abishai to fight the Arameans and the Ammonites (in the last chapter), all the fighting forces returned home for the winter or rainy season. In that region of the world, during that time, battles were normally not conducted during the winter, because of the rain and the cold. So, by the return of the year, or the commencement of spring, Soldiers were ready to do battle. During the springtime it was customary for Kings who were engaged in war to open their campaign by leading their troops into battle. The Bible does not say why, but David decided to send Commander Joab to lead his forces in another attack against the Ammonites, and he remained home in Jerusalem.
The decision to stay home, when he should have been leading his men, was a strange one. David was not sick, he was not too old, he was still in his prime, and the favor of God was clearly on him, but he decided to stay home when he should have been leading his troops. Let me be clear, this was not like the previous chapter when David sent out a portion of his army. David’s entire army went out to battle and he remained home. David was a man of war and he had been accustomed to leading men in battle for decades, but this time he decided to forgo the battle and his idle time at home got him in trouble. Tomorrow we will discuss his encounter with Bathsheba; an encounter that almost ruined his life and legacy.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The safest place in the world is IN the will of God. You are not a puppet and the Lord is not pulling your strings. You are a free moral agent and the Lord wants you to make decisions that line up with His will for your life. This puts the onus on you to make decisions that are both careful and prayerful. When you make decisions that line up with God’s will, you enjoy the blessing of being aligned with Him. When you don’t, you run the risk of suffering the consequences of poor decisions. David’s decision to stay home, when he should have been with his troops in battle, wound up being a terrible decision and it cost him greatly. Are you ready to make Godly decisions today? Are you going to take the time to ensure you are being led of the Spirit in your decisions?
2. When you are in the wrong position you are exposed to the wrong things. When you position yourself where God wants you to be, you are able to have the right conversations and interactions with the right people. However, when you are out of position and you are not where God wants you to be, you expose yourself to people and situations that may hurt you in the long run. It pays to be led of God in all things.
3. Idle time is dangerous. David was out of position and he had idle time on his hands. As people say, ‘idle time is the devil’s workshop.’ David did not have anything to do. During his time with no focus he saw Bathsheba and he almost wrecked his life and legacy. So, as you enter this day, make sure you focus on what God wants you to do. This does not mean that you must never have downtime. Downtime is necessary and God will bless your downtime. But downtime is not idle time. Don’t schedule idle time, because idle (unproductive) time will open you up to things you should not be involved in.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your Word and the reminder this morning to remain focused in all things. I declare, by faith, that my decisions will be decisions that are birthed from my prayer time and decisions that come as a result of the leading of Your Spirit. I am led of You in all things and I seek to remain in the center of Your will for my life. I know how dangerous being outside of Your will can be. Therefore, I will make every effort to hear from You and to make decisions that line up with Your will. I submit my will to Yours. I consciously make an alignment with Your divine assignment for my life. I live a life of obedience, submission and agreement, and by doing so I am able to enjoy Your blessing and favor. By hearing from You I avoid being out of place and the dangers that come along with it. And Father, I want to live a productive life. I want to accomplish all that You have destined me to accomplish. So I carefully and prayerfully plan my time. I don’t accept having idle and unproductive time. I focus my time and efforts on maximizing my purpose and potential. Every day I get incrementally closer the man/woman of God You have called me to be. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
