Hi, and thanks for joining us for this word of encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

My name is Mike Whitmer, and I wrote today's reading, Death Zone.

In 2019, a climber saw his last sunrise from the peak of Mount Everest.

He survived the dangerous ascent, but the high altitude squeezed his heart, and he passed away on the trek down.

One medical expert warns climbers not to think of the summit as their journey's end.

They must get up and down quickly, remembering,

they're in the death zone. David survived his dangerous climb to the top. He killed lions and

bears, slew Goliath, dodged Saul's spear and pursuing army, and conquered Philistines and

Ammonites to become king of the mountain. But David forgot

he was in the death zone. At the peak of his success, as the Lord gave David victory wherever he

went, he committed adultery and murder. His initial mistake? He lingered on the mountaintop. When his army set out for new challenges,

he remained in Jerusalem. David once had volunteered to fight Goliath. Now he relaxed in the accolades

of his triumphs. It's hard to stay grounded when everyone, including God, says you are special. But we must. If we've

achieved some success, we may appropriately celebrate the accomplishment and accept congratulations,

but we must keep moving. We're in the death zone. Come down the mountain.

Humbly serve others in the valley.

Asking God to guard your heart and your steps.

Today's Our Daily Bread Scripture reading is from 2 Samuel chapter 11, verses 1 through 6, and 12 through 15.

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Job out with the king's men in the whole Israelite army.

They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

One evening, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.

From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, she is Bathsheba,

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