A Lesson from King David

By Jill Krueger Wagner

This morning, I read Psalm 101 and I thought, “David obviously wrote this before his sin with Bathsheba.”

In verse 3 he said, “I refuse to look at anything vile or vulgar” but he didn’t look away when he saw Bathsheba taking a bath.

Also, in verse 3, “I hate all who deal crookedly…” yet he dealt very crookedly with Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, orchestrating his death.

Then in verse 6 he says he’ll “search for faithful people to be his companions” – wouldn’t that extend to those serving in his house? Yet someone in his house went to Bathsheba to bring her to David in spite of knowing she was Uriah’s wife.

Finally in verse 7, “I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house and liars will not stay in my presence.” BUT David himself deceived in taking Bathsheba as a wife with their child conceived in adultery after the unjust death of her husband.

Yet this is the man who is called “A man after God’s own heart.” The lesson I gleaned from this is no matter how much I want to do what is right, under some circumstances I, too, could break God’s holy laws. I must beware of emotions that can lead me astray from where I’m supposed to be into a place of temptation. David wasn’t at war with his troops where a king should be and I have to wonder why? But I should learn a lesson from that. Emotions are deceptive but the Word of God “leads us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Stay faithful, Jill and pray that God places a Nathan in your life if you do go astray. Nathan was the prophet who convicted David of his sin bringing him to repentance.