The Prodigal Son by Matt CarterSample

Day 3: The Step 

Yesterday and today, we read about the prodigal making a serious misstep. Our biggest missteps don’t happen all at once, they’re usually the result of a series of bad decisions. Take lying to your parents for example. Before you tell a lie, you have to determine there is a truth worth covering up. Considering telling a lie is not wrong, lying is. To speak a lie into existence requires a step.

Every sin has a beginning. On the front end, sin always looks enticing, fun, satisfying and pleasurable. But sin will always take you to places you never intended to go. The Scripture from 2 Samuel shows what happens when we embrace sin. It always leads to death and heartbreak. 

The story of David and Bathsheba is not a parable that was told to make a point. It really happened. However, like the prodigal son, this account allows us to live vicariously through David and trace the process of sin in his life in the hope that we might avoid the same devastating choices. 

Notice the progression from temptation to sin.  First, David was at home when he should’ve been at battle with his soldiers. Next, David saw a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, bathing across the way. Seeing an attractive woman is not a sin. But what happened next was—David inquired who the woman was, discovered she was married, and still asked his men to go and get her. David used his power to sleep with Bathsheba and have her husband murdered. All this devastation began with a simple temptation. The step made all the difference. 

We are constantly confronted with temptation every day. However, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us fight off temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us "No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, He will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.” This means for the child of God, no temptation is too great. Every temptation can be subdued and overcome when we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us get through. 

Maybe you are toying with a temptation today. It is not worth it brother or sister. Maybe you are walking in flagrant sin, repent and return. Wherever you are today in relation to sin and temptation, the Holy Spirit is willing and able to help you. 

Consider these questions: At what point did David take the step beyond temptation into sin? What is the difference between temptation and sin? How can we stop temptation before it becomes sin?