05/22/2026
THE DAILY WORD
Lisa Davis Johnson
Our strength is found in God.
2 Samuel 11:1 (NLT) In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
This was the season when kings went to battle, yet David stayed home. Sometimes trouble finds us simply because we are not where we are supposed to be. It matters that we start our day with God, asking Him to direct our steps. Our strength is found in Him, and when we drift from that place of dependence, we become vulnerable to choices we never intended to make.
2 Samuel 11:2–5 (NLT) Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent for her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her… Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”
If David had gone to battle—if he had simply been where he belonged then none of this would have unfolded. One choice can set the direction of our future. Choices come one at a time, and each one matters. David had the chance to turn away, but he didn’t. And the consequences followed.
2 Samuel 11:8–15 (NLT) Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax ” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?” Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.” “Well, stay here today,” David told him, “and tomorrow you may return to the army.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.”
Not only do we sometimes make poor decisions, but we often try to hide them under layers of excuses and deception. Uriah stood as a man of integrity, while David, a man after God’s own heart, fell deeply into sin.
This is the same David who wrote so many of the Psalms we love. He was a great man of God, but he was not a perfect man. It took him nearly a year to repent. And when we think of David today, we don’t define him by this failure but by the grace of God that restored him and the purpose he fulfilled afterward.
It takes courage to face what we’ve done, to acknowledge our sin, and to humble ourselves before God. We can become so tangled in our own excuses that we avoid the truth about ourselves. But truth is what sets us free.
John 8:31–32 (NLT) Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Prayer
Father, I come to You with honesty today. You know the places where I wander, the moments when I choose comfort over obedience, and the quiet decisions that pull me away from Your strength. Help me face the truth about myself with courage and humility. Teach me to stay where You’ve called me to be, to walk in integrity, and to depend on Your strength instead of my own. Thank You for Your mercy that meets me every time I return. Keep my heart soft, my steps steady, and my life anchored in You. Amen.
If you would like to accept Jesus as your savior, and you are not quite sure how, it is as simple as saying a prayer to God letting Him know you are ready to accept Him into your life. Say this prayer if you would like to invite Jesus to live in your heart:
Father God, I love you and believe in you. I need you Lord and I am sorry for my sins and the way that I live. Lord, I want you in my life. I receive Jesus as my savior and Lord. I believe that Jesus died for me and rose from the dead. Lord take me as I am and make me the way you want me to be. God, thank you for saving me and being with me on my journey. I am looking forward to my journey with you Lord. I know you will equip me for my journey and I am glad I have you by my side as I walk this walk of Life. Thank you Lord, I love you. Amen
