cut deeply into David’s heart! Uriah slept on the steps of the king’s pal ace that night. David was so desper ate and deceitful that he tried to get Uriah drunk, thinking then he could make him go down to his wife. Uriah drunk, however, was better than David sober. He wouldn’t go. So, in the end, David realized he had to get rid of Uriah. He planned to have him exterminated. This clearly reveals the capacity for sin in the heart of a man whom God has called and chos en. Unless we recognize this sin, we can never come to the point of claim ing victory. Each one of us doubtless knows something of the catastrophe of laziness, wantonness, selfishness, and deceitfulness in our own lives. We need to have a deeper conscious ness of our propensity and capacity to commit sin. There must be such an understanding of our own sin, de feat, and failure that will bring us to the point of really abandoning our selves to God. Instead of being a leader, are you being led along by Satan? Your profession can be abso lutely ruined because of sin. This can be a leader’s catastrophe. Think about these things and allow the Lord to prepare your heart for His blessings.
David must have been going through the most excruciating conflict in his heart. He had switched off the Spirit of God. He sent for the woman. She sinned, too, for she could have told the king in no uncertain terms that she would have nothing to do with him due to her love for her wonder ful husband Uriah. She came to the king’s palace like a fly to the spider’s web. The awful deed of adultery was committed. One sin always leads to another. Here was David, a man after God’s own heart, having within him the capacity to sin, being overtaken with laziness, wantonness, and now with utter selfishness. Uriah was a fabu lous soldier. David doubtless knew that he should have been there him self in the front lines. Selfishness is a terrible thing. It takes many forms. It is a rampant sin among all too many Christians today. While you .may not steal another man’s wife, it can do even more evil things in the mind. All other considerations for people are simply thrown to one side. This is one tragedy in the Christian church today. David never lost his capacity to sin while also having the capacity to overcome. The mo ment he was anointed by Samuel, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Once David committed this terri ble act, it was obvious that there would be a child. Now, something else very terrible happens. This is de ceitfulness. How could David account for the fact that Bethsheba had been seen in his palace and that now she was going to have a baby ? It wouldn’t be too difficult to put two and two together. Immediately the king sent for Uriah. Deceitfully he asked him how the battle was going. Uriah reported, asking permission to return. David wanted him to be seen with his wife Bethsheba. Yet, he was such a soldier that he refused to forsake his duty. He knew his place was out in the front lines with his comrades. How that must have 6
Making a decision as to their choice of beverage, students in the cafeteria line of Biota's Phoenix affiliate, the Arizona Bible Colege, are Isabelle Austin of Portage, Penn., and Carla Gillespie of Eagar, Ariz. Miss Austin’s parents are missionaries in Okinawa serving with the Far East Broadcasting Company. 1/... P o ' Tjj ■
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