"And lead me not into temptation..."

"In the spring..." (2 Samuel 11:1, NIV)

This story found in 2 Samuel begins romantically but unfortunately ends in great tragedy: "...But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord." (2 Samuel 11:27, AMPC)

But let's start from the beginning: David's soldiers had all left to fight for Israel, and the king was alone at home in Jerusalem. As he relaxed on his roof terrace one evening, he saw a beautiful woman taking a bath on a neighboring roof. Instead of looking away, he had her called to him.

A split-second decision. A decision he made all on his own. If David had thought for just a moment longer and involved God, he could have made a wiser decision, and the story wouldn't have ended in such terrible tragedy.

But David slept with this married woman while her husband was away at war, and she became pregnant! Their sin would be exposed in a few months!

So, David again made his own decision. It was a choice made out of guilt and sin—and nothing good can come from that! He decided to call the woman's husband home so he would think the child was his, but the husband didn't comply with David's wishes. The next treacherous step: David made sure that this woman's husband would die.

We can see from David's situation that most of the time, when we open the door to sin, that first mistake isn't the end of the story. We often make other sinful decisions that quickly overtake us with new, unexpected dangers. Therefore, whenever we sin, it is all the more important to immediately involve God in every decision we make going forward! This is especially true when great temptation faces us.

Yes, in times like these, it's crucial to take a step back to look at the situation through God's eyes and not your own. I'd exhort you to ask yourself, "What is really happening here?", evaluating your circumstances in the light of God's Word and will. If you choose to step back like this, He will help you take the right step forward!

There's something else, too, that always helps: prayer! If you're fighting temptation or sin in any form today, I'd encourage you to pray this prayer with me…"Jesus, I ask You to help me to resist and see what's really going on here. Save me from making a mistake that would start an avalanche of problems. When I am weak, You are my strength! Lord, please fight powerfully on my behalf. I need You! In Jesus' name, amen."

You are a miracle!

Déborah