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Today is Wednesday April 14, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 10-12. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-april-14

Title: Bible Study: Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
As Christians, it is important that we remain separated from the world and keep our eyes on Jesus at all times. The second we take our eyes off Him we get ourselves into trouble. The strongest Christian can fall immediately into the lusts of the world all because he took his eyes off Jesus.

David had everything going for him, he was one of the most godliest men of the pre-Christian era, he had God on his side and because of that he prospered, he was the king of all of Israel and won battle after battle because he kept his eye on God and sought Him in all things. However, everything was about to change due to one thing, he took his eyes off God and on his flesh. Instead of going to battle like we was suppose to he stayed behind and fell right into the lust of his flesh. “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. 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. 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? 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. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.” - II Samuel 11:1-5. Here is this man, probably bored with nothing to do, walking on his rooftop when he sees a woman bathing. His first mistake, he kept watching her. We are always going to face temptation, but what makes us fall right into the sin is keeping our eyes on it. Had David kept his eyes on God he would not have even taken a second glance at the woman. No Christian is exempt from Satan, he even tried to tempt Jesus, he knows that if he can get any representative of God to commit sin, especially of the flesh, that it would question the morals of Christianity. Not only would that get fellow Christian's doubting God it will certainly give more fuel to the world's already disbelief.

Now, because of that one day of giving into his flesh, Bathsheba is pregnant. What was David to do, first he tried to get her husband Uriah to lay with her, then when that did not work he sent him out in the midst of the toughest battle so he would get killed. “And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.” - II Samuel 11:14-17. David stopped at nothing to hide his sin, whatever he had to do to cover it up he did, with no concern for others lives. Sin is like a disease, it may start out small and harmless, but one sin usually leads to another and another and to unforeseen consequences and complications in the future.

David thought he was off the hook, he married Bathsheba and from the moment David first lusted after Bathsheba until their marriage, no one interfered with their pleasure. However, when the time came for her to deliver the baby David received a visit from Nathan, the prophet, with a message from God. “Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.” - II Samuel 12:9-15. Although God did forgive David when he repented and asked for forgiveness, Psalm 51 is his prayer to God for his sin, that did not stop God from taking away the child that came from their sin.

Sin does not go unnoticed, one may think that they have gotten away with something or that God does not know, but God knows everything. All this could have been avoided had David kept his eyes on God. We too can avoid the consequences of sin by keeping our eyes on Jesus. “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Thessalonians 5:15-23. As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus we can abstain from all appearance of evil as well as the evil itself. We can overcome all sin by yielding daily to the Holy Spirit and surrendering our lives over to Jesus. He truly is the only one who can keep us from falling into the desires of our flesh. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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