1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
- 2 Samuel 11:1-4
God has created men with certain drives, motivations, and ambitions. The fact that we are wired to strive, fight, or struggle to do something is why sports are so popular. We all enjoy a good struggle. When David stopped fighting the battles that God wanted him to fight, he started seeking some other conquest, and that conquest was adultery. If you don’t get involved “when kings go forth to battle,” that’s when you’re going to fall into sin.
As men, we are warriors in search of a new conquest. We need to take that thrill-seeking nature and channel that into God’s fight. The guy who is never fighting the Lord’s battle might channel all of his energy into sports or some other hobby and waste too much time accumulating “wood, hay, and stubble.” When those pursuits no longer satisfy, he might end up like David-- seeking thrills with his neighbor’s wife.
People will say that I’m always on a kick, but that’s by design. Whether it’s fighting against a certain false doctrine or going soul winning in some new area, I enjoy taking on new challenges. If I’m going to get excited about a struggle, it’s not going to be over throwing a ball around. It’s going to be between the forces of good and evil.
The Christian life is meant to be so challenging that God compares it to both a sporting event and a physical battle field. Like running a race, contending for the faith can be exciting, but not all of life’s battles are fun. We go through trials and temptations, and we need to understand that those things are in our life for a reason. Pushing through the difficult times is what helps us grow spiritually.
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4
We have a tendency to say we are in a battle “right now” as if it were temporary, but in reality, the Christian life is one battle after another. We look forward to the end of each battle, but there’s no discharge from this war. It may seem like it would be nice to retire and rest all the time, but people become bored when life is no longer challenging. We need to stay busy for the Lord because "an idle mind is the Devil’s workshop."
Here is a sermon to go with this article.
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