David’s cover up has been a great success. Uriah is gone, Bathsheba is his and they are waiting on the baby to arrive. He has dragged Joab into the plan and now he is moving forward with his kingdom and plans. David just didn’t plan or forget to remember something that is very important. David takes the 6th step in blowing up his life.
David’s next step is #6: He forgets that God is watching.
When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she cried for him. After she finished her time of sadness, David sent servants to bring her to his house. She became David’s wife and gave birth to his son, but the LORD did not like what David had done. 2 Samuel 11:26-27 (NCV)
David thinks he is free, no one has confronted or called him on his plan or his life. After all, he is the king. The only problem is a 3 letter word right in the middle of our verses. That word “but” turns our world upside down. David has forgotten that God is watching and it costs him. David shows us what it is to be a “Butt”. Let’s look at how we all at times forget that God is watching us.
Believe your own press. Many times we can convince ourselves of some pretty crazy things. We think we are above the rules everyone else must follow. We can get ourselves into a lot of hot water if we do not stop and tell ourselves some hard truths. We need to always remember that, yes, the rules do apply to us. We can try to get by or shortcut our way somewhere and we will end up paying the price. Don’t forget you are awesome, just like everyone else. Stop yourself from making choices based on our own press clippings.
Underestimate God’s Eye. Just when we think God might not be looking, we get caught. He is always watching. Now, I grew up thinking He was watching for a chance to nail me to the wall for something I had done wrong. I was nervous even going to church and worried that the lightning bolt was next. I don’t think God is watching us so he can catch us slipping up. He is watching over us to help us when we let him. David forgets that God is watching, not to get Him but to save Him. What God sees David do breaks His heart. He did not like what He saw. David didn’t stop to consider what God would see. How different if he would have remembered God was watching him that night on the roof when he first started watching Bathsheba.
Take what you want. What would you take if no one was watching? What would you do if you couldn’t get caught? We need to figure out just how far we would go if we could. David takes Bathsheba as a wife, Uriah’s life as a necessary loss, and Joab’s trust as something to abuse. He spent these days and months taking and taking over and over again. He just doesn’t stop himself. He has seen what he wants and he will have it. What would David do if he thought no one was looking? Whatever he wanted that is what he would take and not blink at all.
Trade God’s blessing for a moment. David has been blessed by God in his life. It seems as though the game has been rigged in his favor. He has been watched over and blessed by God. Since he killed Goliath and was spared from Saul David’s rise to fame was quick and powerful. He trades all of that for a woman he sees on a roof. He trades a lifetime of blessing for a moment of sex. When you are being a butt though you really don’t think about the future much anyway. David cashed in tomorrow’s blessing for today’s lust.
A final couple of questions about being a butt: What are willing to not take today to ensure tomorrow’s blessings? Will you weigh out your decisions with the thought that God is watching?