But as you’re driving, what do you see every few miles along the way? Exit ramps. David had lots of them. First, David found out that the woman was married. He didn’t take that exit; instead, he accelerated right past it. A little while later, he found himself way off track, but he still didn’t turn around. He could have owned up to his sin and perhaps even dealt with it quietly between Uriah, Bathsheba, and himself. That would have been embarrassing among a small group of people and may have created painful conflict between him and Uriah, but it wouldn’t have necessarily cost anyone his life. On and on, David continued down the wrong road, just like we tend to do when we don’t want to accept the consequences of what we’ve done. Maybe if we just keep going, the consequences will get less severe. But that’s like continuing to drive in the wrong direction on an interstate. It only gets you farther away from your goal, not closer.

Step into the Story

Let me give you a word of advice. Go ahead and take the exit God provides, no matter how painful it is. He always provides one, and the next one isn’t going to be any easier than this one. Restoration cannot begin until you get off the wrong road and start heading in the right direction.

Better than taking an exit is staying in the right lane all along. This situation would never have happened if David had done what kings normally do. Verse 1 tells us that David stayed home at the time when kings usually went out to war. So he wasn’t where he was supposed to be on that night when he saw Bathsheba on the rooftop. Just as David could have avoided this whole crisis if he had been where he was supposed to be, we can avoid a lot of heartache for ourselves and our families if we keep ourselves on track.