READ 2 Samuel 11
David commits adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal commanders.

INSIGHT
There is greater pain in sin than in righteousness. David clearly loves Bathsheba.
Certainly, it would have pained him had he turned his heart away from her before having
relations with her. But that pain is nothing compared to the pain he brings on himself
and others by taking her as his own. Adultery, murder, the death of their child, the loss
of respect, and the memory of the guilt were some of the results of his sin. It is
sometimes painful to do the right thing, but it is always more painful to do the wrong
thing.

PRAYER
Praise the Lord because He fulfills our lives by giving us talents and abilities to develop:
Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in his mighty expanse.  
Praise him for his powerful acts;  
Praise him for his abundant greatness.  
Praise him with the blast of a ram’s horn;  
Praise him with harp and lyre.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.  
Hallelujah! (Psalm 150:1-3, 6).

Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
I will purify them from all the iniquity
They have committed against me,  
And I will forgive all the iniquities
They have committed against me,
Rebelling against me (Jeremiah 33:8).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this
affirmation to the Lord:
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
To the person who seeks him.
It is good to wait quietly  
For salvation from the Lord
(Lamentations 3:25-26).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

• Your development of an eternal perspective
• Your personal spiritual goals
• Your activities for the day

Finally, offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
To Titus, my true son in our common faith.
Grace and peace from God the Father
And Christ Jesus our Savior (Titus 1:4).