Devotion: Use this resource at home to guide your household’s daily devotions. You can do this alone, as a couple, as a family; in the morning, during the day, or at night. Find a routine that works best for you.

Pray: Light a candle and open your devotion time with a prayer.
Patient and forgiving God, you helped David see his sin, and then you forgave him, and remained faithful to your promises. Help us see where we fall short, so that we might live rightly in you, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Reflect: Reflect on the key verses from Sunday’s reading.
He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die…” Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:5b-7a

Study: Study the reading and consider the background.
One day while King David was walking upon the king’s roof, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. He asked about the woman and discovered she was Bathsheba, wife of Uriah. He sent for her, and lay with her, and she became pregnant.
When David discovered she was pregnant, he sent for Uriah who was serving as a soldier in David’s war. He tried to get Uriah to go home and lie with his wife so that it would seem as though her baby was Uriah’s. But soldiers were not to enjoy comforts of home while they were serving, so Uriah refused to lie with her. To cover his indiscretion, David had Uriah sent to the front lines of the war, where he was killed. When Bathsheba’s time of mourning was over, David brought her to his house and she became his wife.
All of this angered God, who had given David everything he had ever wanted or needed. God sent the prophet, Nathan, to confront David. Nathan used the story of the rich and poor man to reveal David’s sin. David repented. As a punishment, God did not let his child live. But then God forgave David and remained faithful to God’s covenant with David.

Read: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding of Sunday’s text. After the reading, ask the follow-up questions.
Follow the stories of Solomon’s birth and rise to power, following the death of his father, David.
Sunday, 2 Samuel 12:1-5a; Psalm 51:1-9, David and Bathsheba
Monday, 2 Samuel 12:15b-23, Bathsheba’s Child Dies
Tuesday, 2 Samuel 12:24-25, Solomon Is Born
Wednesday, 1 Kings 1:1-21, The Struggle for Succession
Thursday, 1 Kings 1:22-27, The Struggle for the Succession
Friday, 1 Kings 1:28-53, The Accession of Solomon
Saturday, 1 Kings 2:13-25, Solomon Consolidates His Reign

What role did God play in the accession of Solomon? What role did his mother, Bathsheba play?

Connect: Connect in conversation with others in your household. Discuss the following questions, or simply check in with “Highs” and “Lows.”

• What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?
• Where do you see power struggles within your community? In these struggles, who gets hurt? Who gains the most? How might God shape how power is distributed within your community?
• When have you committed a sin that you were unable to see? How did you come to realize your sin? What did you do next?

Do: By acting on what we learn, we make God’s word come alive. Do the following activity this week.
Write a letter forgiving someone of a sin they committed against you. You need not send it; simply write it, and see how your forgiveness shapes your attitude this week.

Bless: Close your devotion with a blessing.
God of grace, help us hear the promise of grace in the midst of acknowledging our failures. Give us courage to trust in your love. Amen.

Copyright © 2014 Clergy Stuff.. (Study section adapted) Used and adapted with Permission. Find more at www.ClergyStuff.com. Blessing written by Pr. Chip Borgstadt. Scripture quotations from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.