There was a time in David’s life that he experienced great stress because of sin. Eli experienced stress because of poor choices and because of his son’s sins. David’s stress was the result of his own sin. One difference in David's situations is that he repented of his sins and humbled himself before the Lord. When he faced great trouble as the consequence of his sins, he cried to the LORD and fasted and the LORD helped him. In II Samuel chapter eleven, we see the account of David’s sin.
First of all, David was guilty of laziness and of shirking his responsibilities as king. At the end of the year, when kings went forth to battle, David stayed home. Instead of going to war himself, he sent Joab and his servants and all Israel to do the fighting. Meanwhile, he stayed home at Jerusalem.
Not only did David stay home, but he apparently also spent a lot of time resting. We see what he was doing when he saw Bathsheba and lusted after her. “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.” (II Samuel 11:2)
David’s next sin was to look on a woman to lust after her. When David saw this woman, he did not turn his head away or go somewhere so he could not see her. No, he looked upon her long enough to take in her beauty. However, David did not stop there. He now put actions to his sinful thoughts and desires. After finding out who this woman was, David had her brought to him and committed immorality with her. It did not seem to matter to David that this woman was another man’s wife and that her husband was off fighting in the war.
The woman, whose name is Bathsheba, conceived. When David found out that Bathsheba had conceived, he was desperate. How could he cover up his sin. We know that “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper.” (Proverbs 28:13a); but David tried his best to cover his sin.
David carried his sin even further by bringing the woman’s husband (Uriah) back home from the war and trying to convince him to sleep with his wife. He even got Uriah drunk one night in an effort to get Uriah to go home. When this did not work, David devised a plan to cause Uriah’s death by putting Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and having other soldiers retreat from him. By doing this, David added murder to his growing list of sins.
With Uriah out of the way, David took Bathsheba to be his own wife. “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.” (II Samuel 11:27b)
David was one of God’s children. God does not leave His children to wallow around in the mire of sin. He loves them too much to do so. God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. When David heard the words of Nathan, David repented and acknowledged, “I have sinned against the LORD.” (See II Samuel 12:13)
Nathan assured David that God had put away his sin. However, sin has consequences. By now, all Israel, and even Israel’s enemies, had heard of David’s sin. David had “given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme.” (See verse 14) All the rest of his life, David would reap the consequences of his sin. But the more immediate consequence affected Bathsheba and the child which she was to bear. We read in verse fourteen, “the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”
Although David’s child was a product of his sin with Bathsheba, David loved Bathsheba and he loved his child. Now David’s sin was costing him that child. David was greatly distressed and grieved. He felt heavy weight and stress upon him.
What did David do to deal with his stress? Did he get angry with God at the severity of his punishment? No. When the Lord struck David’s child and it became very sick, “David… besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.” (verse 16) David would not eat but continued this way for seven days. On the seventh day, the child died, just as God had said he would.
When we face extreme stress, even if it is the result of our own sins, we can still turn to God. He does not forsake us, and He still loves us. God may not take away the consequences of our sin, but He will assure us that He still loves us. Even His chastening is an assurance of God’s love because it reminds us that we are His child. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6) If we are not chastened when we sin, we must examine our hearts to see if we are truly God’s child.
God not only continues to assure us of His love as He chastens us; but He also comforts us. David described God’s comfort to him at the death of his son. “22) And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23) But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (II Samuel 12:22,23) David knew that he would one day see his child again, and he was comforted by this assurance.
Even when stress comes to us as a result of our own sin, we can take the situation to God with a humble, repentant heart. It may be that God will take away some of the stressful things that resulted from our sin. If He does not, He will still shower us with His love, comfort us with His presence and assurance of His promises, and give us strength and peace we need to bear up under the stress. We can still cast all our cares upon Him. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Peter 5:7)