“In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing — a very beautiful woman……When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.” 2 Samuel 11:1-2, 27 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/2sa.11.1-27.CSB

David’s downfall is one of the saddest stories in all of Scripture. He was a man who loved God and was deeply loved by God, but as he grew older, he made some terrible decisions that corrupted his legacy. The first decision David made that positioned him for failure was to abandon his mission and his men. David was to be with his army fighting the Lord’s battles but instead remained in his home’s comfort. Our safety resides in numbers, and being with our brothers on mission in God’s work is where we are least likely to wander from God or become vulnerable to the enemy. We must stay together and focused on the Lord’s work to keep ourselves from wandering mentally, spiritually, and even physically. The second poor decision was getting up at night from bed and looking for who knows what. Only bad things happen at night, and David finds an outlet for his lust when he should have been sleeping. Instead of being content and grateful for all he had, David lusted for more and looked for what else he could take. Selfishness and self-absorption grow when we are alone and feed it through wandering eyes. Focusing on the Lord’s gifts and kindness to us with gratefulness and worship can keep us from wanting more and even doing evil to get it. God saw David’s actions as evil, for his idleness and isolation led him to adultery and murder. The lesson for our eternal safety, for our holiness now, and for leaving a righteous legacy is to stay connected to God’s people doing God’s work and remain humble and grateful for the gifts God’s already given us.