am a Uriah fan! Yep…..I comb the bookstores in search of new books to read and find many on David….but none on Uriah. Maybe authors write about David because we know more and have more information on David….but Uriah…is someone I admire!
If people ask me why bad things happen to good people, I look at the life of Uriah…he was married to the infamous Bathsheba. He was a very loyal commanding soldier in King David’s army. While he was away for service…KIng David (a man who is said to be after God’s own heart)….saw Bathsheba bathing…he kept looking and sent for her and she came.
You guessed it…they had a “one night stand”. All good, right?…No harm, right? NOPE…..Bathsheba became pregnant by David while her husband was away….easy fix?
King David sent for Uriah to come home for a break to be with his wife but, being the LOYAL guy that Uriah was, he didn’t think it appropriate to go spend time with his wife while his men were still serving and away from their own wives….( this is so impressive to me as a leader)..anyway…David decides on Plan B. He would get Uriah drunk hoping then he would go home and sleep with his wife…thus….covering up David’s sin…but nope, even when drunk, Uriah…maintained his purpose and resolve.
So…in order to protect his name (PRIDE) and (POSITION), David resulted to Murder…having Uriah assigned to the front lines so that he would for sure be killed. This Plan C worked.
Amazing to me…..that such a loyal and good man like Uriah (not sin free mind you), would have his life end so tragically. Uriah dies as a result of someone else’s sin and their attempt to cover it up.
Uriah was a faithful, hardworking, loyal, and honest man…and his death was premeditated murder! Bad things happen to good people. Many times it can be a direct result of someone else’s sin…sometimes it is a result of our own sin….If you read the full account in the Bible…you will see that David’s sin did not remain a secret forever…and if God knows our sin, that is all that matters.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE FACT that God hates sin. I often say to myself and our kids, “God don’t like ugly”. Reading in Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him;
haughty eyes
a lying tongue
hands that shed innocent blood
a heart that devises wicked schemes
feet that are quick to rush into evil
a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among his brothers.”
Plain and simple–God hates sin. Some people think that when you invite Jesus into your heart…that eliminates sin…it does not. Until heaven we live in the flesh. The temptation to sin is real…but God sends the Holy Spirit to us to give us the power to turn from sin. It is a war between our fleshly desire and our desire to please a Holy God.
I, for sure, acted Ugly last week and that is a kind way to say it. I am sure my actions were quite “detestable” to God. I lost a major war with the temptation to give into a flair of anger…and there were, unfortunately, eyewitness accounts (all three of our kids and Mike, Collins boyfriend). I was so frustrated and down right angry.
I walked into the house after being gone most of the day to find a package I was expecting. When I opened it…I felt a rush of blood…and HOT…go straight to my face…Let me give you just a little background.
Thomas wears an insulin pump. The supplies that fit the pump can only be ordered through a company on the West Coast. With all the new insurance changes….I had ordered supplies in April that we had not yet received and it was the end of July. It left us in a very tight place…my mother’s death in April was a big distraction so I had not followed up on where the order was….those months are a blur…..on with the story…
Thomas was leaving town in two days and was desperate for pump supplies. I had been on the phone with the company three times that week…explaining the dilemma and they assured me Thomas would have a full box of supplies the next day by 4 p.m. I had spent at least 1 1/2 hours of phone time…getting all the T’s crossed and I’s dotted to ensure the order getting to us….but NO…NO…NO…we got two infusion sets and we needed 8.
I thought I had been pretty clear of our needs when I called. The lady I spoke with could not have been more clear in assuring me of getting what we needed….I was steaming…….So I picked up the phone and called the company and got “UGLY”!
Looking back, I am so embarrassed…I was so mad….when things like this happen, you never really know who dropped the ball but….it is times like that when Satan licks his lips at me…..He disguises himself behind little pricks…..like…”poor Sherry…not your fault your mother just died,” “poor Thomas…they don’t know what it is like to live dependent on a machine”……and on I went with the “poor me’s”….
NONE OF that justified my poor behavior…NONE OF IT. I Got an F….a BIG fat F!
I have repented and yes, apologized for my poor behavior…but I really want to WIN in this area…when things like this happen….I am so glad to be comforted by Paul’s words in Romans 7:19, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do—this I keep doing.” Everyone struggles with sin….we have to be intentional about repentance and seeking to change.
You and I have been contaminated by sin.
We can try and dress it up with high heels and some lipstick…but given the right moment….an opportune time when the stress is elevated and we get a push or whisper from the enemy and….we crumble.
I have found that learning to live in the power of the Holy Spirit is the key as Paul says in Galatians 5:16, “So I say live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Learning to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit…is a decision that starts with how you think…taking every thought into captivity (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).
We need to be aware of “Satan’s Bait” A.K.A. our weak spots. Our temptations. Sometimes we are blind to those things that tempt us and need a trusted source to help us “see” them. Go back to the story of David for a good example.
Discipline is key as well. Don’t give into allowing yourself to come up with reasons…that sound good but….you know deep within those reasons don’t justify your “Ugly”.
Don’t try to do it in your own strength. Doesn’t work. A real WIN requires walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.