2 SAMUEL 11:1-5 – In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

THEME OF THE DAY. THE STEPS TO BACKSLIDING. Today’s scripture is the opening of the sad story of David’s fall into his serious sin with Bathsheba that led to a series of sins that had consequences throughout his life. We know what happened, but we may not pay much attention as to how it all began. It wasn’t something “big” which pushed David to commit adultery. Yet what he did or better, what he didn’t do, teaches us an important lesson. It isn’t always the “big things” causing us to start down a path of destructive sin. More often than not, it is the neglect of “little” things. Or we could say, “Not doing what we know to do” that will open the door to soul-damaging and life-altering sin. Do we see it with David? Read the opening lines. David is King. He sends his army out to fight for Israel. The scripture reads, “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle.” But David didn’t go. His place was on the battlefield, not in his living room. The scripture further reads, “But David remained at Jerusalem.” He neglected known duty and responsibility. It may seem like a small thing, but it paved the way for a huge thing; sin which produced disgrace, and pain. The principle is clear. The steps to backsliding begin with neglect of known duty.

And friends, it will be like that for us too. Neglect known duties and responsibilities God gives us and it will not go well with us. If we refuse or neglect to do what we know to do, two things will happen in the Christian. First, we will lose sweet fellowship with the Lord. We may still read our Bibles, go through the motions of prayer, attend church, even serve in Christian service, but what will be noticeably absent is spiritual satisfaction, contentment, and joy in these things of the Lord. They will simply be activities lacking spiritual life and enjoyment. Allowing known disobedience silences the voice of the Lord.

Another thing which will happen to a Christian disobeying known commands of God will be the tolerance, allowance, and practice of sinful indulging of the flesh. It happened to David. If he was where he was supposed to be, then gazing at the beautiful Bathsheba with lust would not have happened. He would have been absent from the place of temptation. The application for us is real; be where we are supposed to be if we want to avoid tantalizing temptation. This applies to Christian fellowship and particular, commitment to church. Too many Christians are living disobedient to God when it comes to church life. Too many Christians are deceived to think they may have a healthy walk with the Lord but live in isolation from God’s people and active involvement in His church. Francis Havergal once said, “An avoidable absence from church is an infallible evidence of spiritual decay.” I would add, “Or evidence of being a backslider.”

David could have avoided a life of sorrow and pain if he simply did what he knew was right before the Lord. His example of what not to do should warn us. Don’t allow known disobedience to exist in our lives. It will only cause us regret, remorse, and perhaps a long painful road of repentance just like David.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to always be on guard against the first sign of backsliding which is often a ‘small’ thing.”

QUOTE: “Any known disobedience to God’s Word is the open door to drifting into a backslidden condition”