[Life Of David] A Night Of Passion Becomes A Life Of Pain Chikamu

Cleanse Or Cover-Up

Whenever we make a mistake, we have two choices: Covering it up and pretending it never happened, believing that it was not our fault, or someone else did it. The other one is to come clean, to confess what we have done wrong, ask for forgiveness, and try and find a way to make things right. David had a choice to make after sleeping with another man’s wife, the wife of one of his soldiers. He could choose cleansing over a cover-up.

David was lonely, bored, lustful, lazy, in a place he should not have been seeing what he should not see. He is going to go through all of the stages of an affair. He had a way out when his servant told him who Bathsheba is: she is the daughter of one of his generals and the wife of one of his soldiers. However, he did not care. His mind decided on one thing. He is in the wrong place and on the wrong path. He is not going to take the way out. Uriah will die, others will die, a baby will die, and in the future, David will pay for this sin with his life, his family, and beyond.

Sometimes we also end up in a similar place. We have to choose cleansing instead of a cover-up because collateral damage can come all the way around. The Bible tells us God provides a way of escape with every temptation so we may endure under it. There is always a way out. There is always an exit door. Think of Joseph with Potiphar’s wife; she grabs his garment and says, “Sleep with me.” He runs and leaves the garment there. He did not care about the consequences of running away as fast as he could. He ran. He did not lead her on or flirt with her; he fled.

We are to flee sexual temptation always. Never fight it, always escape it. If you get caught in a situation when you are about to cheat on your spouse, if you sense you are starting to walk on the wrong path, signals will alert you to flee from that place, from that person, or that situation. We honor God by being faithful to our spouses. If you are already on the wrong path, choose cleansing over a cover-up. Confess, come clean, tell the truth, ask for forgiveness. There is always grace and forgiveness in the Lord.