Read 2 Samuel 11:1-27

It all started out so innocently. 

There was no intention of sin when King David walked up on his roof one spring evening.  As he glanced out upon his kingdom, something caught his eye.  From the roof top of his palace in Jerusalem, he looked down and saw a beautiful woman bathing.  We all know better than to stick around and take a closer look.  And King David was no different.  In I Samuel 13:14, it says that David was “a man after God’s own heart”.  He was one who historically was obedient to the Lord, even in the craziest circumstances.

This time, David let his guard down.  The warning signs were flashing in his head.  STOP!  Do not take a second look!  She is not yours! However, David ignored the warning signs and. what started out as something innocent, ended up as adultery and murder.

It’s easy for us to read this and be judgmental about David.  He had to know better.  He was a married man; she was a married woman.  His mistake ends up in a plot to cover up his sinful act and, when that plan fails, he takes it a step further and has Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, put in the most dangerous place on the battlefield so that Uriah would end up being killed.

2 Samuel 11 is a section of scripture that should scare each one of us to death.  If King David, a man after God’s own heart, can fail, then we can all fail.

How can we make sure that we do not fall into this same pit that David did?

We must be proactive!

The first thing we all must do is to put up a wall. Keep the enemy out. Make it difficult to fall into temptation. The beginning of 2 Samuel 11 says “in the spring when kings march out to war”.  David sat this one out. He stayed at home and was not where he should have been.  How about you?  Are you visiting websites you shouldn’t?  Taking a second glance?  Reaching out to people of the opposite sex on a social media platform?  Communicating/flirting with someone who is not your spouse?  Staying up late when your spouse is in bed?

Another important part of the construction of your wall is accountability. We need to have people who are willing to ask us the difficult questions and challenge us when needed. These are people who are in the battle with you.  These are individuals who you want in your foxhole during a battle – people who encourage us, not by telling us what we want to hear, but what we need to hear.  The type of people who can peel you back like an onion and see how you are doing inside.  This takes openness and honesty on your part but is oh so vital.

Work on constructing your wall daily by studying the Word of God and spending time in daily prayer.  Make reading the Bible a priority.   Memorize the Word so that, when you are tempted, you have something to encourage you.  Spend time in prayer communicating with God.  Lean on God in times of trouble.

When you are tempted, do not fight alone.  Tell God about it in prayer.  Contact your accountability partners, your battle buddies, and let them fight with you.

If David could fall, we can too.  But if we have the proper boundaries in place, it will be more difficult to fail. 

Be proactive and build your wall!

Nate Mills