Most of my grandchildren love to go on adventures on a trail. It doesn’t matter to them if it’s a trail that has been designed for people to go on a walk through the woods or one that they create themselves. It’s the adventure that they enjoy.
On these trail adventures, we always have to remind them of R&R. R&R doesn’t stand for Rest & Relaxation, but Rocks and Roots. If we don’t remind them to watch out for the rocks and roots, one of them will end up tripping, falling and crying in pain. Since we don’t want them to end up getting hurt, we warn them to watch for loose rocks and roots sticking up above the ground that will cause them to fall. We don’t want them to fall and their pleasure ends up turning into pain.
Temptations in life are the same way. The trails that temptations lead you on are always designed to trip you up, causing you to fall and end up in pain.
Temptation’s trail will usually start out with something that seems somewhat of innocent pleasure and end up with something of an enormous problem.
Let’s read 2 Sam. 11:1-5 and see how one man found out this the hard way.
Here’s how Temptation’s Trail usually goes:
- You being somewhere you shouldn’t be. (V.1-3.)
- A place you shouldn’t be.
King David was at his palace when the Bible tells us in verse 1 that it was a time when kings went off to war. David was where he would not normally be. The devil loves to get us in places that we should not be and trap us with a temptation. - With people you shouldn’t be with.
When David first got a glimpse of Bathsheba that’s when his desire to be with her began. The devil is good at getting us connected with people that we don’t need to be connected with. People that we get too connected with. People that may even lead us down a wrong path.
- A place you shouldn’t be.
- You doing things you shouldn’t be doing. (V.2-4.)
- Looking at something you shouldn’t be looking at.
David looked upon Bathsheba and lusted for her. The devil works temptations through our eyes and captures our hearts. Don’t let the devil use your eyes to set a trap of sin on you. - Participating in something you shouldn’t be doing.
David sent messengers to get Bathsheba and then he had a sexual relationship with her. This appears to be a very spontaneous action on David’s part without any thought. Before we take any action out of the ordinary we should think about what the Bible says about our actions and what the consequences will be.
- Looking at something you shouldn’t be looking at.
- You trying to hide something you shouldn’t have gotten involved in. (V.5-14.)
- Hiding it by trying to act like you never were involved.
David’s first steps to cover up what he had done was to try to set up a situation where it would seem like the baby belonged to Uriah. All in an attempt to make it appear that he never was involved with Bathsheba. This never works because sin always finds us out. - Hiding it by trying to eliminate the problem.
Since David’s first plan did not work, he went to plan B of eliminating the problem. The terrible part of David’s plan was it involved a murderous plot. Hiding sin always leads to worse sin.
- Hiding it by trying to act like you never were involved.
- You affecting the lives of others as well as putting your life in a mess. (V.15-27.)
- You damage the lives of innocent people.
David’s actions resulted in Uriah being killed and Bathsheba’s life being devastated. It also resulted in the loss of the baby’s life as well. The devil never reveals to us the devastation that will come to so many lives. - You get your own life in a mess.
If we read on through the following chapters, we will see that David’s family becomes a mess. One problem and sin after another. His pleasure became an ongoing problem and pain. Temptation’s trail always does.
- You damage the lives of innocent people.
What was it that I said at the beginning about Temptation’s Trail? Oh yes, Temptation’s Trail will usually start out with something that seems somewhat of an innocent pleasure and end up with something of an enormous problem. If you are going down Temptation’s Trail right now, isn’t it time that you stop in your tracks and get things right? No matter what point you are on along Temptation’s Trail, now is the time to stop and get on the right path! You will be glad that you did!
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