August 9
No Spiritual Vacations
It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all
—2 Samuel 11:1
As he was running the race of life, David was doing so well he thought he could slow down a little bit: take a breather, relax a bit. He didn’t have to run with as much commitment. He got sloppy.
It started with a lustful look, and it ended up as a nationwide scandal. Though the sin lasted only minutes, the repercussions of it lasted for the rest of his life.
I am speaking, of course, of the story of David and Bathsheba. This sin was so devastating to David’s life, you might think that he could never survive such a fall. Amazingly, he did, though it cast a shadow over his life from which he never fully recovered.
Let’s not forget, as sordid as the details are, that David was still a man after God’s own heart. That is not to justify what he did in any way, but we should remember David was a godly man who made a big mistake. (Which, by the way, could happen to any one of us. If David had the potential to fall into sin like this, then you or I can fall as well.)
There is no vacation from the spiritual battle. I wish there were. I wish we could kick back for a month or so. But the Christian life is not a playground—it is a battleground. The moment you begin to slow down or relax your grip spiritually, you are going to start having some serious problems.
—Greg Laurie, Losers and Winners, Saints and Sinners
In his newest book, Losers and Winners, Saints and Sinners, Greg Laurie examines the lives of biblical personalities—good and bad—revealing why some fell and failed while others picked themselves up and finished strong in the spiritual race.
Copyright © 2005 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.