2 Samuel 11:8-11, NIRV

⁸David said to Uriah, “Go home and enjoy some time with your wife.” So Uriah left the palace. Then the king sent him a gift. ⁹But Uriah didn’t go home. Instead, he slept at the entrance to the palace. He stayed there with all his master’s servants.

¹⁰David was told, “Uriah didn’t go home.” So he sent for Uriah. David said to him, “You have been away for a long time. Why didn’t you go home?”

¹¹Uriah said to David, “The ark and the army of Israel and Judah are out there in tents. My commander Joab and your special troops are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink? How could I go there and sleep with my wife? I could never do a thing like that. And that’s just as sure as you are alive!”

Definition:

Worship – to give honor, hope, praise, and glory to God.

Message:

Do you know what the word “authority” means? Authority is given to someone who is an expert on something or has the power to influence others. Some people have more authority than others. A teacher has authority to make decisions for the whole class. A principal has the authority to make decisions for an entire school. A king, queen, or president has authority to make decisions for an entire country.

Don’t you think people with that much authority should act honestly and wisely? (Allow children to affirm.) If a student in a classroom misbehaves, that is a problem. But a bigger problem would be if the teacher in the classroom misbehaves. That is a really big problem because the teacher sets an example for the whole class.

King David misbehaved. He made sure a good man named Uriah was killed in battle so that he could marry Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. Even though he was the ruler of Israel, he made mistakes. Even though David worshiped God, he let the power and authority he had get out of hand. That’s the thing about power: it can “go to our heads” and make us misbehave. When we misbehave, we are afraid of being caught. That fear may affect every choice we make. When we misbehave, we are not obeying God.

Today, I would like to focus on the first two words of our definition of worship. Remember, our definition - Worship – to give honor, hope, praise, and glory to God. The two words I want us to think about today are “to give.” The word give is an action. It takes two to give. To give, there must be someone to receive.

David did some really horrible things. He let power “go to his head.” But remember, in 2 Samuel, David isn’t the main figure; God is. In everyone’s life, there will be things said and done that are wrong and hurtful. There may be times when we misbehave, even disobey God. But thanks to those two words, “to give,” we can give God those mistakes, problems, and struggles in life. In return, God offers us forgiveness found in the love that God has for us. God loves us that much! That’s a wonderful reason to worship God this day and every day!

Prayer:

God of love and forgiveness, offer forgiveness when power and authority may “go to my head.” Help me be respectful of your authority above all. Keep me from following bad examples, making poor choices, and treating others unfairly. In those times when I have authority, please show me how to use it well. Amen