Beware Of The Traveler
Scripture
2 Samuel 11:1-27; 2 Samuel 12:1-13; James 1:14-16; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Romans 8:6; Philippians 4:8.
Summary
Nathan told David a parable about a rich man with thousands of sheep and a poor man with one beloved ewe lamb. When a traveler came by, the rich man was too stingy to kill one of his own sheep to feed the traveler. Instead, he stole the poor man’s pet lamb, killed it and fed it to the traveler. The traveler in the story represents the sinful, tempting thoughts that enter our minds. If we continuously think about our wrong desires, we eventually act on them. To keep from sinning, we must continuously monitor and guard our thoughts.
Key Points
- Every action begins with a thought in someone’s mind.
- Pure thoughts result in pure actions. Impure thoughts result in impure actions.
- It’s not a sin to be tempted, but we must turn our thoughts away from the temptation.
- A mind controlled by our sinful nature leads to death, but a mind controlled by the Spirit leads to life and peace.
- Our biggest battleground is the battle to control our thinking.
Connection Questions
- If you were a friend of King David, what advice would you have given him after he saw Bathsheba bathing?
- What are the three steps to destruction?
- What negative or tempting thoughts do you struggle with most often?
- What can you do to better bring your thoughts into captivity to Christ?
- Why is the mind our most important battleground?
Final Thoughts
David lost the battle to control his mind and it caused trouble in his life and his family for years to come. He could have avoided so much sin, death, and destruction if he would have turned away from the tempting thought when it first entered his mind. Imagine replacing sin with righteousness, death with life, and destruction with restoration. Where are your thoughts taking you?
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