by Tiffany McCardell on October 3, 2022
You better be careful of who you have around you. If you have a bunch of people around you who agree with every evil thing you do, you are absolutely in a dangerous place. If no one ever questions or challenges your bad behavior that's not safe at all. Don’t let that be the reason your baby (gift, vision, or purpose you are pregnant with) dies.
So allow me to tell you a story and give a little background. David is the King of Israel, and during the spring of the year when the kings are at war or in battle he is home in Jerusalem. He is on his rooftop and sees a beautiful woman bathing. First, he sends someone over to ask who she is and discovers she is Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. Next, he sent messengers to go and get her and bring her to his palace. He then sleeps with her and she becomes pregnant. Now he calls her husband home from the war and tries to convince him to sleep with his wife (this way Uriah will think the baby is his own) however Uriah is so dedicated to the king, that he will do no such a thing as long as they are at war. Now David’s plan backfires, and his next scheme is to have Uriah killed. Not only did Uriah die on the battlefield, but several other soldiers lost their lives as well.
My Question to you is, who you with?
David had people around him, and those people watched him covet Uriah’s wife Bathseba.
Uriah was a faithful warrior and loyal to David until death.
David covets Uriah’s wife.
David commits adultery with Uriah’s wife.
David lies to Uriah.
David Manipulates Uriah.
David kills Uriah (and numerous other soldiers lost their lives)
(side note: Bathsheba had to be okay with all of this)
So you mean to tell me nobody told David that what he was doing was wrong. Not one person in his circle said, “Hey, I don’t think what you are doing is a good idea, this might cost you more than you are willing to pay!” But God! God sees all and knows all. What is done in the dark will most definitely come to the light. Now, God gives the prophet Nathan a story to tell David.
And the story goes, “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of a rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”
Now David is hotter than a firecracker. He is furious, He's shouting “any man who would do this deserves to die! He has to repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity!” Then Nathan hit him with a gut punch, “You are that man!”
God said, I anointed you King of Israel, and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. As if that wasn’t enough, I would have given you much, much, more! Now David is ashamed but ready to repent.
What if the people who were with David would have said something before several lives were lost. What if someone...anyone in his immediate circle, would have been courageous enough to give him wise counsel? How could he be around so many people constantly making bad decisions, even to the point of the death of others?
What are you not speaking up about?
What is your silence saying?
Who are you in the story?
Are you Nathan -the friend who is available to help others even at the expense of being shunned?
Are you David -the friend who has it all, the leader amongst the group using your influence to destroy others and to make sure you always have your way?
Or are you The Mute Yes Man- The friend who always agrees and assists your friends when they do wrong, even to the point of some type of destruction? You should behave ethically and do the right thing. Your character should be whole at all times. You should do what is right even when no one is looking!