In Touch - March 18, 2006
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- 2006 Mar 18
In Touch Daily Devotional
by Dr. Charles Stanley
Saturday March 18, 2006
When Human Strength Fails
God has pledged Himself to protect the spiritual well-being of His children. To that end, He has formulated a plan and provided His Spirit to rescue us from every temptation.
But what happens when, in a moment of weakness, we refuse to take the offered “escape route” and instead implement our own ideas? Eventually, our human strength fails, and we yield to the temptation. So it was with David. He had experienced the Lord’s rescue countless times, but in his idleness, he allowed the temptation to fill his mind, dictate his actions, and move him into ungodliness.
Sin always brings consequences. In David and Bathsheba’s case, she became pregnant, a cover-up was set in motion, and a series of bad choices ultimately led to her husband’s murder (2 Samuel 11:6-27). Taking some time off and staying at the palace probably appeared to be a harmless decision — one of the “perks” of being king. Fantasizing about Bathsheba and requesting her presence seemed like a pathway to pleasure. Instead, these choices led to death and the Lord’s demand for an accounting (2 Samuel 12:1-12). Like King David, we may consider the company we keep, the places we go, and the choices we make as relatively harmless. But later on, after having succumbed to temptation, we are filled with regret.
Fortunately, that is not the end of the story for him or for us. David’s heartfelt repentance was accepted by God, and if we fall into sin, ours will be too (1 John 1:9). Ask the Lord today for discernment to recognize the temptations in front of you and the strength to take His way of escape.
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