Standing Still is Moving Backwards

Everything seemed to be going great for David. He'd survived Saul's attacks, living in a foreign land, fought wars, had a civil war-and through it all he had sought God and really exhibited the character of God in all he did.

Then something happened. In 2 Samuel 11 David was in the middle of fighting battles against the enemies of Yahweh. When it came time to go to work it says "David remained in Jerusalem." I'll bet for many years later David really wished he had gone into battle because what happened stained his life and his family for the rest of his time on earth.

Chapter 11 is the David and Bathsheba story, where David spies this really hot woman bathing, takes her and sleeps with her, gets her pregnant, then has her husband killed. Because of this sin, David has sorrow in his family and in his nation for the rest of his life.

What I want to focus on is that initial decision not to do God's work. God didn't tell him to stay home. And when we as soldiers in God's army decide that we want to go on extended furlough we place ourselves in a difficult situation. Now I'm not saying we have to fill our days from end to end with activity, but when we decide not to be available for God to work with anymore we become open for the war to come to us.

1 Peter 5:8 says: Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

When you stop doing what God wants with your life its not like you can just check out because at that point the enemy checks in. When you stop doing God's thing you leave an opening for the Devil to start doing his thing - to tempt you into disobeying God.

So the word is, remain on alert and at your post - available for the Lord. Be ready for him to call you to war, fighting against the enemy's strongholds in people's lives against the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Tom