Sunday December 27th, 2020
Memorize: Proverbs 18:9 Good News Translations (GNT)
« A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive. »
Read: 2 Samuel 11:1-17 New Living Translations (NLT)
1 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.
2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace.
As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.
3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told,
“She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her.
She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home.
5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”
6 Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
7 When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing.
8 Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax.” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace.
9 But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.
10 When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked,
“What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?”
11 Uriah replied,
“The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields.
How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.”
12 “Well, stay here today,” David told him, “and tomorrow you may return to the army.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk.
But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.
14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.
15 The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.”
16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting.
17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.
Message
There is a popular saying that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
This is very true. Ask King Solomon.
He was probably the wealthiest man that ever lived. He was also the wisest on earth during his days, yet the book of Ecclesiastes which he wrote when he was very old, has a tone of depression all over it.
Because there was no war in the days of Solomon, he relaxed and it cost him a whole lot.
After he was done building Gods temple and completing all the assignments his father gave him before passing on, he was left with nothing to do. He then started marrying strange women, drifted far from the Most High God and built temples for strange gods.
Learn from Solomon. Avoid being idle, it can cost you your life and destiny.
King David’s idleness resulted in him falling into adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband (2 Samuel 11:2-17). This eventually brought a curse on his lineage (2 Samuel 12:10). The Bible speaks of idleness in 1 Timothy 5:13 NIV:
« ” … Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.” »
If you find yourself spending one hour at a stretch watching videos and pictures on social media, be careful.
Your free time could become a tool in the devils hands; fill it with something meaningful.
Take a good book around with you to read in your free time or go somewhere and pray.
I remember one conference I attended abroad. Reverend W.F Kumuyi of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) was also at the conference. At a time when we were free, I went into the restroom to read my Bible. After fellowshipping with God, I came out holding my Bible, only to see the fellow in the next cubicle coming out, holding his as well. It was Reverend Kumuyi. We looked at each other and laughed.
Today, when you look at some of the churches experiencing the extraordinary move of God in Africa, you find DCLM and RCCG at the top.
We use our time wisely.
Action Point: Killing time can kill your destiny.
Author: Pst E. A. Adeboye.
Text edited by Naomie
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