FAITH CAPSULE:Whatever you behold will either build you up or bring you down.

2 Samuel 11

The Bible records about King David, “It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” (2 Samuel 11:1) Ideally, King David was supposed to have been at war. Instead, he was at home walking on the roof and, “…from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman.” (2 Samuel 11:2-3) Assuming that King David’s location at the wrong time played one of the major roles in his crime against Uriah, the issue of “behold” steered him into his crime against Uriah.
Behold actually means: to observe; look at; see. In most cases, whatever you observe might end up serving you the way you receive it. What you look at will end up in attaching you up to serve your desire. What you see will determine what will become of you. The function ability of beholding what goes around us hangs on to our eyes. Eyes and ears are the major route to our hearts where decisions for action take its place.
After beholding the wife of Uriah while she was bathing, King David inquired about her. He could have turned away from what he observed; what he had looked unto. However King David could not keep his heart under control when he inquired more by sending his messenger for her. After sending for her, “she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am with child.’” (2 Samuel 11:4-5)
Beholding another man’s wife; beholding another woman’s husband; beholding what does not belong to one is a direct trap for self-termination. What is it you are beholding that does not belong to you? King David ended up in deep sin. There is always forgiveness where there is repentance. However, the consequence of sin always remains and could be very costly.
In the presence of two disciples, John the Baptist declared, “…Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36) The two disciples who beheld Jesus followed Jesus. The two disciples’ life was transformed; they were built up to possess their inheritance among the sanctified. Whatever you behold will either build you up or bring you down. If what you behold is of good it will build you up for good and if what you behold is of evil you are set for destruction.
Just as the two disciples beheld Jesus, you begin to behold the living word of God to build you up for His glory.

Prayer for today: Ask God to work in you what is well pleasing in His sight.