“Then it
happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army
and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But
David stayed at Jerusalem.” (1 Chronicles 20:1)
Spring was
the time when kings went out to battle (to protect and preserve their kingdoms),
as the weather was favorable to man and beast. David should have been in battle
with Joab, but he wasn’t. Instead, he stayed in Jerusalem, in the comforts of
the palace, while all the mighty men of Israel were at war. This was the point
in David’s life where he became vulnerable to his encounter
with Bathsheba.
What we do with
our idle time: where we go, what activities we get involved in, who we spend
time with, what we choose to look at, can go a long way in either; 1) leading
us to, or 2) keeping us from, a compromising situation. Had David been about
his kingly duties, with the other men of valor, protecting his kingdom and its
people, he would have had plenty to keep him occupied.
The same holds true for us. Therefore,
redeem your idle time my friends. Put yourselves in the service of our King, king
Jesus – for there is plenty of work
to be done in His service.
The Truth
“But if
serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day
whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the
gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua
24:15)
