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:

2Sam.12.1-2Sam.12.15|Ps.139.11-Ps.139.12