The Consequence of Missing in Action

Dustin Smith

13th September 2017

Reading through the Bible, it does not take long to see that God uses imperfect people. One of my favorite characters in the Bible is King David, and he proved to be far from perfect. If you know any stories about this great King, then you know that a huge turning point for David is when he laid eyes on Bathsheba. And while the story of what David did with Bathsheba is one we can all point to as a major sin in David’s life, I believe we miss something if we don’t look at what led to that fateful moment. It is found in 2 Samuel 11:1,

In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. — 2 Samuel 11:1 (NLT)

From this scripture, we find that David’s responsibility as King was to be out to war with his men. Unfortunately, David was not out fighting like he was supposed to and because he was out of position in the fight, he was in position to sin. I wonder how many men are living in sin today because of their own idleness or apathy. Instead of fighting and ruling over the enemy we have become bored and disengaged from the battle and are now being ruled by our own desires. We are living out Proverbs 16:27 that says, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop; idle lips are his mouthpiece.” (TLB)

When we disengage from the battle, we find ourselves sitting behind computer screens looking at things we should not be looking at, dreaming of having someone else’s life instead of creating one for ourselves. When we become lazy with a remote control constantly in our hand, we grow numb to the fact that another spirit is running our houses. When we consume entertainment nonstop, we can easily become satisfied watching an action movie instead of becoming a person of action. If you find yourselves in one of these scenarios, then you are not much different than David was when he stayed home from the battle. If you don’t find something to do, then the enemy will find something to help occupy your time.

The fix for this problem is simple. This is something that you have control over, and you can not blame the enemy for. No more staying home when you are called to war! It’s time to shake off the desire to sit around while someone else is out fighting your battle for you. Be a person that leads the charge. Faith is not talk; it is action. Step back into the fight. Rise and take your place.

Fierce action — Pray and ask God what area of your life have you become idle or lazy in.

Fierce takeaway — “If you don’t find something to do, then the enemy will find something to help occupy your time.”

Devotional is originally from the Be Fierce app by Here Be Lions.
Download the app here!