ESOCS Devotional 3 September
TEXT: 2 Samuel 11: 1-15
MEMORY VERSE: “And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.” 2 Samuel 11:15 KJV
Sin begets sin. This means that when one commits sin and deliberately fails to realize so and confess it, and drop it, it leads to another sin, and it goes on and on. This has dire consequence(s).
In David- Bathsheba episode, we read how sin led to sin. David allowed himself to fall deeper and deeper into sin. From committing adultery, he tried to cover it up by deceiving others (sin of deceit), he got Uriah drunk and finally committed murder- he ordered that Uriah should be put in the forefront of the hottest battle with no support, there, he was killed.
So many people today fall into this kind of situation. For instance, all over the world, we hear news of how robbery gangs broke into houses, stole their properties, and to ensure their identities were not revealed, killed the whole family. There were cases where some men committed fornication or adultery; the result was pregnancy. They settled for abortion and in the process, death resulted. Cases also abound where in churches, schools, companies, government parastatals, etc. people who were in charge of finance pilfered cash, or outright fraud and they told lies to cover up; some killed their co-workers, church members, or defamed the Leader of the Church, etc., to cover up, some commit arson, and a host of other atrocities just to cover up.
David could have chosen to stop and turn from evil at any stage along the way. But once sin gets started, it is difficult to stop (James 1: 14, 15). The deeper the mess, the less the offender admits having caused it. It is much easier to stop sliding down a hill when you are near the top than when you are halfway down.
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
From David’s case, we learnt the following important lessons: we should “flee from youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22a). We should ask God to help us stay away from people, places, and situations that may tempt us. We should identify our specific weaknesses and pray about it. We should refuse to entertain any temptation, and finally; refuse to cover up our sin, but confess it, and move forward (Rev 2: 5). But, if we choose to cover it up as if nothing has happened, it will beget another sin. The best thing to do is not to commit sin at all.
CHALLENGES
- Some Christians have challenge confessing their sin anytime they commit one. Do you?
- Some Christians harbour friends who encourage them to move on and forget confession.
PRAYER POINT:
- Ask God to give you the ability to resist temptation, and whereby it is committed, the spirit of humility to enable you go down on your knees for forgiveness.
FURTHER READING:2 Samuel 11:16- 27; Proverbs 6:20-25; Proverbs 1:10-16; 1 John 2:15-17
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ESOCS Devotional 2 September
