BOLD Daily Devotional: Abused Authority Leads to Sin

2 Samuel chapter 3, 2nd Samuel chapter 11.

2 Samuel 3 · chapter mention

Yes.

2nd Samuel chapter 11.

Overarching picture.

Overarching picture.

Let's start there.

This particular chapter.

This is where we read about David pulling rank.

David uses his authority and takes another man's wife just because he wanted her.

Lack of better term.

So this is where David is the king.

Back in the day, they had a house up on a hill.

The higher up that the higher up the house, the higher up the hill you were, the more money.

Kind of similar to today.

If you go into the mountains and the hills, the higher up, the better view, the more expensive the homes.

Also, they had flat roofs.

So you could easily walk out on top of the roof.

This particular example, David was not where he was supposed to be.

And he was out of the roof.

He was in his home, which is looking out.

As he looks out, he sees a lady.

The Bible says unusual attractiveness, depending on the translation.

She's bathing on her roof.

Privacy of her own home.

So kind of bathing.

David sees her, burns with lust inside of him.

And as a result, what happens is he pulls his authority, uses his rank, and he ends up asking who that is.

They tell him who she is, also that she's married.

David said, Bring her here, but brought her to the palace, slept with her.

Takes her, sends her back home.

She finds out she's pregnant, sends word to him, I'm pregnant.

David tries to mastermind the situation.

All right, the cover-up.

So he finds her husband is fighting for David's army, where David should be.

I'm gonna go back to it in just a second.

Brings him back home in hopes that he will go and sleep with his wife.

So make it like a cover-up.

So when the baby's born, it may not look like the daddy, but you know, try to put on him.

You know how we try to scheme and plot.

Takes a further the man is a man of integrity.

He's like, look, the Ark of the Covenant and God's army is out there on the battlefield.

Who am I to be here?

I'm supposed to be with them fighting for Israel, as was David.

So he comes as opposed to going home.

He sleeps the first night right outside of the palace guard, right outside the palace with the king's guards.

David flies out, tries to get him drunk, send him back home, doesn't work either.

I think he goes home, but he doesn't sleep with his wife.

So David was like, all right, your man of honor, sends him back to battle, but tells Joab, who's the king of his guards, hey, put him on the front and back up.

Pretty much signing his execution.

They arranged, I think, exactly as it was stated to do, but he ends up dying.

They send word back to David that despite the battle, the loss of lives, he died.

David pretty much, okay, you know, you win some, you lose some for lack of a better term.

Try harder the next time, literally.

Brings his wife to be one, bring Uriah's wife to be one of his wives.

Last verse, God was not pleased.

Lately, in the last two weeks, probably the next two weeks, too.

We're gonna at both, we've been teaching about a place called there.

We start off globally.

I genuinely believe that God has a place called there for each and every one of our lives.

According to Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11.

Jeremiah 29:11

One of the plans I have for you, thoughts of good to give you hope and the future, and one translation, an expected end.

So we see that God is like has a place he wants your life to end at.

Now, this is his perfect will, his permissive will, because of free nature, is not gonna always be, not because God doesn't want to, but because we don't always partner with heaven to finish the story the way God desires.

And I can back that up a lot of different ways.

So he has a place he wants your life to end, despite how it began, how he allowed to begin, he has a spot he wants you to get to.

We backed it up a little bit.

If that he has one for your life, he has one for your year, he has one for your month, he has one for your day.

God has a plan he wants you to accomplish any given day.

The world calls it purpose.

God is like, hey, I invented that literally.

I have a plan, a purpose for your day, for waking you up, for sustaining you.

I have a plan for that.

Take a step further.

Yesterday we introduced in your place of prayer.

If prayers are conversation with God, and this man is busy, he has the whole world in his hand.

When he puts you on his calendar, he's not literally one to waste time.

Meaning, he has a purpose that he wants to accomplish with the time we have together.

Can we see that, right?

So even in your place of prayer, there's a place called there God wants to get you.

There's some information he wants to reveal to you.

We talked about that on yesterday.

Now, the overarching strategy is this, particularly in Romans 12, because Romans 12, 2 ties in.

With your place called there, it starts off in Psalm 91, the secret place, the place of prayer.

So as you spend time in that place of prayer, you spend enough time with God to know his ways, his character, his word, his will.

Once you leave that secret place, you have renewed your mind enough to know where there leads to, if that makes sense.

So, for instance, an easy example to say, okay, God, who is my husband?

Who is my wife?

If you spend enough time in your place called there, then what happens is when you leave that place, you will know it when you see it.

Why?

Because you renewed your mind enough, according to Romans 12, 2, so that you may prove God's good, pleasing, perfect will for your life.

What about this opportunity?

Is it for me?

Spend enough time in your place called there, in a second place with God.

When you step out, when you go in peace, go in purpose, He will, you will know why you could renew your mind enough to be able to discern God's good, please, and perfect will.

Can we agree with that?

Cool, thumbs up, cool.

Now, what happens in a place called there?

In a place called there, it starts with again a secret place.

There is a promise in Psalms 91 of protection, not only protection, provision.

In your place called there, there's a place of protection and a promise of provision.

God is only obligated to bless his word, to honor his word.

So as long as our lives align with his word, not only the logos, but the rhema, the revealed word, that's the place of provision that God has for you.

Move on a little bit further because we're running out of time.

So, what you have is this 2 Samuel chapter 11.

2 Samuel 11 · chapter mention

This is what happens once you're not in your place called there.

This is not all the time, but this is what can happen.

Now, chapter 11, verse 1.

Now, David should have been in a particular place.

The first verse tells you where David should have been.

David placed call there at that particular moment, was in battle.

Meaning, if David would have been in battle, that's where God's protection was and his provision was for David in that moment.

One may say, because David, not in his place called there, he was more susceptible without his armor, without his protection, without the supra on his natural, to be less susceptible to temptation.

Why?

Because he wouldn't have even been paying attention to that.

There are some battles that we're fighting, and what happens is it's because we're not paying attention to what God tells you to focus on.

Dave's a beautiful example.

If Dave would have been out there fighting, he won't have time to think about adultery, not only adultery, first-degree murder.

Not only that, having a child out of and everything that comes from it, particularly tomorrow, chapter 12, he don't have time for that.

Why?

Because he's focusing on what God wants him to do.

God's protection for you is in this place called there.

But Reggie, why would I want to leave my comfort of my household and go into battle?

Because when you are in your household and God is telling you or has instructed you to go there, there is less protection in your earthly understanding, in your physical dwelling, than it is in obeying the will of God in a more seemingly dangerous place.

That's why he should have been in the battle.

Some of us, there it is, battles, conversation, situation, you've been avoiding.

You've been avoiding, you've got pressure in your minds, right?

Because you're thinking through stuff that God has told you to act on, to say, and to do something about it.

But so as opposed to acting on the will of God, knowing that if he led you to it, he's already organized and ordained the situation to work out for your good.

Why?

Because you renewed your mind enough to know it's the will of God.

God is telling you to say this to this person, He's telling you to do that for that person.

But no, you'll rather sit back in your closet and now the enemy is bombarding you.

Why am I under attack?

Because you are outside of his protection, his protection is in his will.

If you were to go to battle, if you were to get up and obey, be where God has assigned you to be in your particular season, certain fights we have we're dealing with ain't even there.

Why?

Because we're so focused on what God is instructing us to actually do.

Why?

Because we're in a place called there.

So David, you all mine, if I keep it rocking, because this ties so much to my message in my series.

I want to keep rocking.

Is if that's okay with you all?

Cool.

All right.

David was outside his place called there.

So as a result, the protection that God has for him, he was walked outside of it.

He was outside of protection.

His protection was for battle.

There's a season for battle, there's a season for rest.

The season for battle is a season for rest.

This was not the season of rest.

This was the season to go forward, to go fight.

And as a result, he was susceptible to a temptation that he acted upon.

He was consumed by it.

And as a result, he once again committed adultery and ultimately murdered.

The ass, the challenge, the caution.

Where are you fighting battles, facing pressures that you are not meant to face because you are out of alignment with where God is calling you to be or to do in this particular season?

What you mean?

I'm saying that there are certain battles that we're facing because we're out of alignment with the will of God.

Some of us, once again, there are things you should have done years ago.

It could be as simple as a conversation.

For some of us, it's a relocation.

For some of us, you feel in the blank.

God put this on your heart, but you are steady here, fighting things, some of us mentally and emotionally, spiritually, some of us physical.

Why?

Because God's protection is over here, it's over there, and you're still here.

And God is like, why you lean to your own understanding instead of trusting me with all your heart?

I understand physically the challenges that it looks like.

I understand, Jacob and Esau.

I understand.

I'm telling you to go back to reconcile some stuff.

I understand that you are afraid.

I get it.

I understand that it's fraught, it's fray.

I understand that you got a reputation now.

But God is like, no, no, no.

I'm calling to go here, go there.

Because there is my protection and my provision.

There.

There are some things we're toiling when God simply wants you to rest.

Labor to rest, not toil.

There are some things we're toiling on when God is like, no, no, no.

If you go over here, you still got to work.

Don't get me wrong, Adam had to work in the garden.

Been to Hawaii, beautiful place.

Eating was better, but he still had to work.

So there's a difference between labor to enter God's rest and then a place of toil.

So some of us are toiling.

Why?

Because we're working outside of the garden.

We're working outside of the place of eating.

Eating was a place of God's protection and provision.

So when they got moved out from the place of protection and provision, they had to get it on their own.

And too many of us, because we won't spend time in the presence of God in a place called there.

I do believe there has a lot of different definitions.

And one of them is the place where you meet God.

Moses and Joshua had 10 of meetings.

That's where they met God.

That's where they prayed.

They met God.

You have to have a place where you have uninterrupted time of prayer with God.

Because if you always try to take God on the go, you're not going to always know where God wants you to go.

And man, that was good.

Why?

Because we spend so much time distracted, trying to drag God where we are, actually to bless our midst as well to send down.

God, where are you?

Because where you are, that's where I want to be.

I want to be there, God.

I want to be exactly where you call me to be.

Why?

Because there's your protection, there's your provision for me.

There.

Not only for me, for my family there.

For our church family, there.

That's where the provision is, and that's where I want to be.

And most importantly, there is where you are.

Moses said in Exodus chapter 33.

Exodus 33 · chapter mention

God told him, hey, pretty much go down this road, go down here, and you'll be fine.

Most like if you your if your presence does not go with us, we're not going.

Do you want to be there where he is?

He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow.

Shadow moves.

There's there's some things you're gonna have to do.

There's some things you can handle by the declaring and decreeing.

The other thing you're gonna have to handle by getting up on your feet and getting out and go and move.

Excuse me.

Your place called there.

What happens?

Once again, David, he was anointed.

A lot of us are anointed, but we see the anointing isn't autopilot.

David still has to seek the will of God.

We still got to seek the will of God.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Father God, give us this day our provision.

Give us this day our direction.

Give us this day, Father God.

So that means we have to continue to pray, press in.

Your anointing got the Holy Spirit.

You got a better cup than David had.

Holy Spirit, within and upon, never leave you nor forsake you.

Glory to his holy name.

But we still have to seek his face.

We still have to obey him.

We still have to commit, prioritize, spending time with him as well as self-control, buffet our bodies.

Because the Bible says, every man is tempted by his own lust.

We all got something that may hit us in that one spot.

So that's why Paul said, I'll cover myself, lest I fall into it.

This is Paul saying that.

So if Paul can say that, how much more do we need to protect ourselves?

So let's see.

All right, there's a progression of being outside the will.

One is disengagement.

David is not where he should be.

He stays behind from going to battle.

That's what all kings were, that's what God protection for David was.

Okay.

Two, distraction.

So because David went there, he was easily distracted.

Because he was distracted.

He saw Bathsheba.

Three, that distraction stirred up lustful desires within him.

Four, because of those lustful desires, he leaned to his flesh.

He gratified the desire of his flesh, which means disobedience to God.

Then he continued, deception.

He tries to manipulate the circumstance to work in his favor.

How many times we try to do that as well?

If we're being completely honest, we spend more time almost like a student, spend more time cheating on the test and actually studying for it.

We spend more time trying to figure out how we're gonna word this or say this or do this than a third, as opposed to doing a thing right the first time, or the second time, or the third time.

Do not be weary and well doing, okay?

Fourth, because of his manipulation of the circumstances, of innocent man died.

A man who was in his place called there died.

This is why I got to pray for leadership.

That they be in a proper place called there, because their decision affects other people.

So we prayed for leaders in government.

We pray for leaders in government on down to local HOA, leaders in business, leaders in school, leaders in arts, entertainment, media, leaders in health care.

We pray for these people.

Why?

Because these people's decisions affect other people.

So David's decisions, David trying to cover up and manipulate the situation, caused a man to die that was walking in his purpose.

It was in his place called there.

But he moved them out.

That's why we pray for our leaders.

Pray for spiritual leaders as well.

Pray.

That's why we pray for them to be in a place called there.

Ultimately, you see stealing, killing, and ultimately destroying.

So freak out.

There's a place called there.

There's a place called there.

I believe that more and more.

The more God blesses us is bold to move forward.

I think Tony said a couple weeks ago.

As we take our next step of faith, he reveals more and more.

So we thank you all so much for your time, talent, treasure, your prayers, your support financially, your words of encouragement.

Those that do plan on joining us on day one, thank you so much.

We're seeing some stuff, some stuff I'm really not able to say yet, but when we do say, glory to his holy name.

There is a place called there.

There ultimately is the place of alignment with the will of God.

Ultimately align with the will of God.

First, we spend time with him.

We spend time with him.

We get to know his character, his word, his ways.

And as we spend more time with him, we begin to be more like him.

We begin to be more like him.

It's like with the natural, the more time we you spend with somebody, you begin to more know be more like them, know their thoughts, their mannerism.

You start to see yourself acting like they're like, uh oh, snap doing this, doing that.

Why you spend time with that person?

And ultimately, once you spend time with the person, you can know kind of think, renew your mind to come up to his level to think how he thinks.

You can't have the mind of the anointing.

You can.

You can and the anointing in Christ.

So then once you do that, Romans 12, the second part 12, to you may know that you may prove God's good, pleasing, perfect will.

So from the place there, the secret place there, you move forward, and you can realize there it is by faith.

So are you there?

Maybe you got some revelation in your place of prayer.

I know some of you all um haven't taken our advice and have notebooks, journals, things you write down consistently.

Are you there where he revealed to you?

Are you speaking and doing and making active plans to line yourself there?

Am I doing what are we doing what God trusts us to do?

Are we remaining his word?

Are we staying connected in prayer?

Are we storing our relationships, family, friends, and loved ones?

Most important, restorting our assignment.

Because as we see, like David, sometimes you don't have to be somewhere bad to be somewhere other than there.

David was at home, but he wasn't supposed to be there.

Where he was supposed to be was the place that anywhere but there.

You want me to go fight?

Yes, actually, there is.

He's the God of angel army.

There is a season for you to go fight.

Yes, there is.

Yes, there is.

So, are you there?

And please, if you're not there, take tonight.

Pray to get back there.

In the morning, I will be back in the morning to talk about what happens to get back there.

A little teaser, like Phil does.

Psalms 51 to 2 Samuel 12.

They're married.

Glory to God.

Let's pray.

Father God, we love you.

We thank you that this is the day that you have made.

We thank you for your Holy Spirit, divine insurance to get us there.

For you saying your word, to God, lead us not into temptation.

The Holy Spirit would never lead us into temptation, Father God.

But deliver us from evil, Father God.

We thank you for the opportunity to connect with you, to fellowship with you.

Why?

Because of the price paid on cabbage tree, because of what Christ has done for us, we can call ourselves sons and daughters and come boldly to your throne, Father God.

Not only that, we can know your spirit knows you.

And so, because of the knowledge that the Holy Spirit has, he can share with us so we can lead life that please you.

So much so, 1 John 2 is that right to the things that you will sin not.

Sin means to miss the mark.

We don't have to miss the place called there, Father God, in our thinking, in our words, and in our actions.

But God just thinking that nothing is impossible.

So as we're talking about these things, Heavenly Father, we may see how can I do this?

We don't have to do it on our own.

We have, first of all, do it by faith.

Take hold of it by faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit, which raised Christ from dead now dwells in us and upon us as well, Father God.

We thank you, dear God, that though we've stumbled, though we may have gotten outside of our there, we got distracted, Father God, and we were susceptible to attacks.

Why?

Because we were outside of your there for our lives.

That, like we'll see in the morning, you will restore us, Heavenly Father, and you will cover, you will welcome us back home into that place.

We don't have to run further away from you or further away from there, Father God.

We can come home, come back into the safety of there, the place of your provisions, the place of your protection, Father God, the place of your promises to us.

There are many promises, Heavenly Father, that you have in your word and they're tied to the place called there.

And as I pray we will fight, scrap, lay off every weight in sin, Heavenly Father, that keeps us from getting there.

Lord, we're tasting sin a little bit, and I know there's so much more.

Lord, let us be people who get there.

And we learn to live from a place called there.

Abide there.

He that dwells in place shall abide.

Let us abide there, Father God.

And from that place we rule and reign with you.

And ultimately, when we see you, we say, Well done.

Thank you, Holy Spirit.

We thank you for some language protection.

We sleep tonight.

We thank you for sweet sleep, it's only you can bring.

We thank you, dear God, for revelation, knowledge, insight, understanding being granted, Father.

Not by might nor by power, but by your sweet Holy Spirit.

Thank you that the change of dead, doubt worry, stretch, and fear are fallen.

And as a result, we will love you and live both.

You son, Jesus' name, I do pray.

Amen.

And thank God.

Amen.

Amen.