In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. (ESV)

As we continue in our Deeper Life through Calling series, I find that David’s failures and redemptions encourage and inspire me. I mean, if “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) can fail, then of course the everyday Susie Smith that I am is going to fail. At the same time, if a mere human who has failed so mightily can be redeemed and get back on the right track, then so can I…

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While I’m not an overachiever, I don’t like looking weak, and failure has looked like weakness to me for much of my life. So, I have done my best to avoid failing so I don’t look weak. But, I’m also human and easily distracted, so I feel like I can relate a little to David in his current failure.

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Today, we find David in a seemingly innocuous place – just taking a stroll on the roof of his palace. Getting some fresh air and a little activity – that’s a good thing, right? But this was a time when kings go out to battle, and instead of going himself, David sent Joab. Uh-oh…

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In previous weeks, we have seen David walking in his kingly calling even before he was the actual king. Now, we see the opposite…David is the recognized ruler, sitting on the throne of Israel, and he’s shirking his kingly duties. Our text says that the spring was when the kings went out to battle, but where was David? Strolling on his palace roof…

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Enter the distraction. David spots a beautiful woman bathing on her roof, and lust takes over.  

David got distracted…

I can relate to this. There are times when I have been meaning to sit down for some quiet time and got distracted by Facebook. I have been intending to spend some quality time with my family and got distracted by nap time. I have been meaning to come clean about a mistake I made and got distracted by fear.

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When we detour from our calling, we leave the door open for distraction — and the enemy is so good at distraction. Instead of walking in his calling as king and going to war with his armies, David got distracted. Our text doesn’t tell us why David decided to stay home instead of going to battle, but we can use our imagination a little in this. Perhaps he got distracted by leisure. Perhaps he was distracted by fear. Perhaps he was distracted by self-centeredness. No matter what the distraction, I believe David lost focus on his calling.  

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In the middle of David’s detour, when he should have been out fighting with his men, David gets distracted again and enters into one of his biggest moral failures — he acts on his lust, takes another man’s wife, gets her pregnant, then conspires to get the man killed. WHOA. That was a major detour, and it had severe consequences — including the death of his child (2 Samuel 12:18).

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The good news is that David, through the help of a prophet, realizes his failure and falls to his knees in sorrow and regret, getting right with God and back in focus with his calling (see 2 Samuel 12:13). And we ALL have the opportunity to do the same.  

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Friend, we will all fail at some point — we’re only human. But our response to our failure is what makes the difference. My perspective has changed over the years because I see now how my failures have always been opportunities for growth. When I allow the Holy Spirit to speak to me and lead me in the correct path, back to my calling, then I’m a little bit wiser and a little bit more like Jesus.  

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Have you been distracted from your calling? Has that distraction led to failure? What an opportunity to fall to your knees and surrender that to Jesus! Let him lead you back on track, back to your calling.  

God, may we stay focused on you and what you have called us to. But when we fail, may we clearly hear your voice, turn from our distractions, and walk in our calling. With the power of your Spirit and in the precious name of Jesus ~ AMEN!