2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalm 51: “I will never be unfaithful.” That is the first step to falling to temptation. In David’s life, he was a man who loved the Lord. It is so evident in his writings, he had a personal relationship with Him and yet he fell. It is easier than we think to do it. Let yourself get pulled away from what you are supposed to be doing. David was home while his army was engaged in battle. David was idle of mind and his mind when to places it should never had been. He was up on the roof allowing his eyes to wander. He knew better and chose to satisfy his flesh. He made a mess trying to “correct” or and even better word “cover” his wrong.
The list could go on and on.
What can we draw from his experience? A phrase one of our American forefathers said, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Indeed it is. When we are net in control of where our mind goes we can wander into some dangerous places. Pornography is a prime example in this area. You don’t have to be looking at a magazine or even the internet in places you should not be. It can be in movies or even in books. Stop your mind before you get anywhere close to this. You can’t remove what you have allowed in. Once you have fallen once, it gets easier and easier to return.
It may not be pornographic, it may be a real relationship. I have heard way too many women who walked with Jesus say that they were “Niced” into relationships. It starts like this. He was just nice to me. Then he started texting and coming by my desk and commenting on how nice I looked. Eventually things just went further than they needed to. Even if her body was not involved yet, her heart and mind was. Oh friends. Don’t be deceived. Whatever gets your mind, gets you!
David’s found this out the hard way, then trying to cover his choices he made even worse ones. Stop yourself before you get to this point. Confess your sin to God. Confess it as far as it is known to the ones you have wronged. Then you too can say as David did in Psalm 51 “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit.” The willing spirit is huge to walking write with God again. Make my will Yours Father. Don’t allow my flesh and my mind to rule over me.
If you find yourself wrestling with guilt, be encouraged. God forgave David, and He will you too. The child conceived during the sinful season died, but to prove God’s forgiveness and love, Solomon was born to the Bathsheba and he became the next king. David was forgiven by God, but he also forgave himself. You can too, and your future may still have some conflict in it, but you can have peace with God.