Slouthfulness leads to Sinfulness - 2 Samuel 10-14

When we are in the wrong place and fail to do what we should be doing, sin comes knocking at our door.   Much has been written about David and his sin with Bathsheba.  Many lessons have been learned, taught, and, regretfully, repeated in regard to his adultery, cover-up, and subsequent difficulty.  His wandering eyes, his abuse of power, his false humility, his exploitation of other people are all snap shots from the family photo album he would rather not see.   Yet, in 11:1 of this section we have a key insight for how all this came down and why it may repeat numerous times.   In this first verse of the story we see that when others went to do their responsibility (in this case: War) David choose to stay home and do nothing.   Perhaps this is where we get the phrase: Idle hands are the devil's work shop!   David sat idle.  Others were going to fulfill their responsibility to war against their enemy.  Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, was at war.  Joab was a war.   Others were at war.   But, David lingered behind, saw Bathsheba, sinned and the rest is tragedy.  It is when we  are failing to fulfill responsibility that we are most susceptible to sin.   It has often been said by preacher and priest, "If we just did what we are required to do we wouldn't have enough time to do what we are forbidden to do."  When we don't do what is our responsibility we put ourselves in positions like David.  Perhaps his wandering on the roof that night was because he was bored or couldn't sleep.  That lead to a walk.  That lead to a vision.  That lead to sin.   Let's realize that slothfulness leads to sinfulness for many reasons.   When we fail to labor we fall to leisure and leisure most certainly can, and often does, lead to licentiousness.  Let's be about doing what God wants us to do.  It will not only avoid occasion for the flesh it will accomplish the purposes of God.