DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Your Sin Will Find You Out
By Dave Mann
The account of King David and Bathsheba is one of the most infamous stories in the Bible. Though it is not the most appropriate story to share with young children, I remember being taught the point of this R-rated "movie" through a different G-rated story at a very young age.
The story was told using the most dynamic audio-visual medium of the day – flannelgraph! See if you can find the commonalities between this story and King David's dilemma.
Johnny’s mother had just purchased a beautiful watermelon, which sat on the dining room table in all its glory. She said to Johnny, “Now don’t touch that watermelon. I need to do some shopping this afternoon. I want to serve it this evening.”
“Oh, I won’t touch it,” Johnny assured his mother.
Shortly after, she left to run her errands. Johnny sat in the dining room and gazed at the big, plump watermelon. He decided touching it would not hurt anything – no one would ever know. So, he stretched out his hand and touched it. Then, he decided he could lift it to see how heavy it was – and still no one would know. He rolled it to the side of the table. But when he tried to catch it, it was too heavy for him, and it slipped through his grip and fell to the floor, splitting in two.
Oh no! What would he do now? Johnny decided to carry the two halves to the backyard sandbox. He would eat it there, leaving no mess inside. So, he ate the whole thing! He didn’t feel so good. He still had to hide the rind and all the seeds. So, he decided to dig in the sand and bury all the evidence. When he finished, the sandbox looked the same and no one would know the difference.
When his mother returned, she was surprised to find the watermelon gone. She asked Johnny about it, and he said that a robber had come and stolen the watermelon. Johnny’s mother was not quite convinced of the truth of Johnny’s story, but she had no reason to believe that he was lying. So, she let it go.
However, that night and the next day, there was good rain. The day after that, what do you suppose appeared in the sandbox? That’s right, poking up everywhere, were little watermelon sprouts.
The moral of the story: You can be sure your sin will find you out.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, help me every day to avoid the temptation of sin. And if sin does find its way into my life, help me reject the lie that I can cover it up. Help me confess my sin and allow you to cover it through the precious blood of Jesus, Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAVE MANN
I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of six. Pam and I have lived twenty of our years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we continue to enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.
Delightful. Oh, how I enjoyed this story. Thank you.
Great story!