A sad story!

The thing David had done displeased the Lord.

2Samuel 11:27

Painfully, the evil that has long been swept under the rug—sexual abuse of many women by men who had power over them—has come to light. Enduring headline after headline, my heart sank when I heard proof of abuse by two men I admired.

The church has not been immune to these issues.

King David faced his own reckoning. Samuel tells us that one afternoon David saw a woman bathing (2Samuel 11:2). And David wanted her. Though Bathsheba was the wife of one his loyal soldiers (Uriah), David took her any way.

When Bathsheba told David she was pregnant, he panicked. And in a despicable act of treachery, David arranged forJoab to have Uriah die on the battlefield.

Thereis no hiding David´s abuse of power against Bathsheba and Uriah. Here it is in full color, Samuel ensuring we see it. We must deal with our evil.

Also we must hear these stories because they caution us against the abuse of power in our times. This was David a man after God´s own heart(Acts 13:22), but also a man who needed to be held accountable for his actions.

May we also prayerfully hold leaders accountable for how they use or abuse power.

By God´s grace, redemption is possible. If we read further, we encounter Davids profound repentance (2Samuel 12:13). Thankfully, hard hearts can still turn from death to life.

By:Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

Why is it important to prayerfully address the abuse of power in our midst and in our world?

How did Jesus reveal the right way to live out true power?

God, I don’t know what to do with all the brokenness I see in my world,the brokenness in me. Will You shine Your light and heal us?

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