2 SAMUEL 11:1 – 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.

THEME OF THE DAY. NEGLECT ALWAYS LEADS TO FAILURE. It never turns out good. The consequences may vary from minor to severe, but consequences there will be. When we know an act of obedience to the Lord we are to do, and ignore it, a consequence or consequences will follow. When we sense the clear and directing voice of the Spirit of God calling us to spiritual responsibility, duty, or commands to obey, and we silence Him, there will be some price to pay. It must be so because it is a Biblical principle stated by the Apostle James, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17). Neglect in knowing what God commands of us and desires for us is simply sin. And this sin, the sin of neglect of known duties in the life of David serves as a serious model of warning for us. David’s willful neglect of known duties altered his life. This one “little” act of not doing what he was supposed to do caused irreparable damage in his life, family, and kingdom. Let’s look at the starting point for these sad consequences in David’s life.

Today’s scripture begins the portion of God’s Word detailing David’s sin with Bathsheba. After the initial act of adultery, we are exposed to David’s fool-hearted attempts to hide it by committing a host of other horrific sins from lying to deception to murder. And it all started with something which on the surface seems so minor. This “something” unfolds in the beginning and ending of today’s scripture – In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle… But David remained at Jerusalem. If we could talk to David right now, the conversation from him might go like this. “If I would have been doing what kings were supposed to be doing instead of doing what my flesh wanted to do, I would not have wrecked my life.”

Due to neglect of known duties and responsibilities, David put himself in a position to sin. And in the heat of the moment, his defenses were down due to this disobedience, and he chose wrong. It all began because he neglected to be where he was supposed to be and doing what he was supposed to do. If we were able to tell David in advance, “David, listen to us. You are going to discredit your family, commit great sin against your God, and leave a sad mark in your life, because you are going to fail in one specific area of your duty as King”, he would have responded “You are crazy. I am a good king, and besides, I am committed to my God and His people. Never going to happen.” And David’s situation may very well be ours.

If the devil and our flesh persuade us to justify neglect of known duties and commands of God, they have positioned us to commit soul-damaging, fellowship-quenching, and testimony-destroying sin against our God. And it is ever so easy! For instance, one of the easiest commands to obey is faithfulness on the Lord’s Day. Make it an uncompromised “no brainer” that unless providentially hindered, we are not going to “neglect gathering together as the manner of some are” (Hebrews 10:25). If we don’t, we will find ourselves not being where we are supposed to be, and like David, there will be consequences to this disobedience. And in our day of grace, one of the spiritual consequences is a lack of felt and real communion with the Lord. When we neglect one of the primary means of spiritual growth, regular church attendance, we cannot expect substantial growth from Him or experiences with Him. Like David, when known neglect occurs, certain failure will soon follow. May the Lord help us to be where we are supposed to, doing what we are supposed to do in unwavering commitment to obey the Lord for His glory and our good.

PRAYER: “Father, please help me to always and daily be on guard against neglecting known responsibilities.”

QUOTE: “Knowing what the Lord demands of us and not doing it will always produce spiritual indifference.”