May 30

2 Samuel 11

David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.

INSIGHT

There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba. Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin. It is sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong thing.

PRAYER

Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!…
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).

Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me (Jeremiah 33:8).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord (Lamentations 3:25-26).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

• Your development of an eternal perspective
• Your personal spiritual goals
• Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy,
and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 1:4).