In the Depths

The following is a fictional story inspired by 2 Samuel 12:1-15 (when David

was confronted by the prophet Nathan about his sin and what he did to

Bathsheba and Uriah) and it also takes ideas from Psalm 139, which was

written by David.

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I reach the abandoned well and climb down as fast as I can, checking over

my shoulder to make sure no one followed me. All around me is an empty

field. I’m finally alone. Deeper and deeper I

climb. Fifteen feet. Thirty. I scrape my knee on the stone wall, and my

pants tear. The blood starts to trickle down my leg, but I keep climbing

till I’ve reached the bottom, the depths. No one will find me here.

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I can’t face what I’ve done right now. How I lied to everyone, how I

hurt her. I feel my stomach twist at the memory. If anyone else would have

done what I did, I would make them pay for their crime. Yet, here I am,

guilty and alone.

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Suddenly, I look up to the small opening at the top of the well. I’m so far

down, it’s just a small circle of light now, but something enters the well.

I watch as a leaf floats all the way down to the bottom. I catch it before

it hits the silty floor.

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Written on the leaf are the words, I see you. Even though your sin is

great, I love you. I feel the same gentle breeze that carried the leaf now

on my cheek. Leaning my head back, I close my eyes as the tears start to

fall. Deep down, I knew there was one person I could never hide myself

from. Naomi Zylstra

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When our sin is exposed, we naturally want to hide. But God sees us, and

He wants to restore us. Because Jesus died and rose again for us, those who

put their trust in Him are totally forgiven for all their sins. What’s

the difference between hiding in the dark and being sheltered by God’s love

and forgiveness?

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Even though David committed two horrendous sins in 2 Samuel 11, God still

loved David. Through the prophet Nathan, God exposed David’s sin and called

David to turn away from sin and turn back to Him. When David repented, God

forgave him! There were still very real consequences for David’s sin, but

God continued to show His love to David and to Bathsheba. How can David’s

story give us hope when we sin? (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 51.)

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If I say, Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night

around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you Psalm 139:11-12

(NIV)

Read Verses:

2 Samuel 12:1-2 Samuel 12:15; Psalm 139:11-Psalm 139:12