I walked out onto my lavish upstairs veranda and looked over the multitude of homes that lined the city.
My eyes suddenly fell upon a beautiful woman through the parted curtains of a small house not far from my home.
The shape of her breast and the curve of her hips sent feelings quickly into my body filling me with desire.
I wanted her, now! I sought to find out whom she was and if she would see me.
I learned that she was married to a person who worked for me.
My heart sank, but my aspiration to see her stopped my better judgment.
I thought to myself it wouldn't be doing anything wrong if I just talked to her.
She could be my friend.
At once I sent one of my messengers to her home with an invitation to join me for a drink.
When she walked through my door my heart began to pound in my chest because her beauty was so stunning.
I showed her my lavish home all the while admiring her sheer elegance.
She was well versed in her knowledge of my décor and furniture.
I was amazed at her culture and realized after a long conversation that her grandfather was one of my closest business confidants.
The more we talked I realized how much we had in common.
I could see from how she smiled and tipped her head up to me on one side that she was interested in everything I said.
She even listened intently and asked the right questions when I talked about my immense business.
It was a wonderful friendship that I looked forward to everyday when she came over to my home.
Before long she was giving me decorating tips and rearranging my furniture.
Each time she came, I would embrace her and kiss her cheek.
It was not long before we shared a kiss that turned into more days with more kisses.
The day that it happened was a gorgeous day full of the fragrance of fresh cut flowers and the warmth of the late spring air.
We had gone into my bedroom for a moment to place a vase on a table and my arm brushed against her back and at once we embraced for a long passionate kiss.
Within a few moments I was undressing her and she was unbuttoning my shirt.
Our bodies united as one releasing our passion for each other.
It was as if this day was chosen to be the beginning of many times we would spend together loving each other.
Neither of us thought about the fact that she was a married woman until our desires were completely satisfied.
What was once the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me turned into worried thoughts? "What have I done? I have sinned against God and committed adultery.
" The expression of sheer delight that had once lit up her face now changed as she hurriedly dressed.
I assured her as she began to leave.
"No one will ever no what we did.
" 2 Samuel 11: 5-11, "Afterward she discovered that she was pregnant and sent a message to David to tell him.
David then sent a message to Joab:'Send me Uriah the Hittite.
' So Joab sent him to David.
When Uriah arrived, David asked him if Joab and the troops were well, and how the fighting was going.
Then he said to Uriah, 'Go on home and rest a while.
' Uriah left, and David had a present sent to his home.
But Uriah did not go home; instead he slept at the palace gate with the king's guards.
When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he asked him, 'You have just returned after a long absence; why didn't you go home?' Uriah answered, 'The men of Israel and Judah are away in battle, and the Covenant box is with them; my commander Joab and his officers are camping out in the open.
How could I go home, eat and drink, and sleep with my wife?By all that's sacred, I swear that I could never do such a thing!'" 2 Samuel 11:14-17, "The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah.
He wrote: 'Put Uriah in the front line, where the fighting is heaviest, then retreat and let him be killed.
'So while Joab was besieging the city, he sent Uriah to a place where he knew the enemy was strong.
The enemy troops came out of the city and fought Joab's forces; some of David's officers were killed, and so was Uriah.
'" 2 Samuel 11: 26&27, "When Bathsheba heard that her husband had been killed, she mourned for him.
When the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to the palace; she became his wife and bore him a son.
But the Lord was not pleased with what David had done.
" There are many mysteries in our world, but to understand why things happen like they do, we must begin by understanding why we need God in our lives.
In the beginning God made our world perfect.
But when Adam and Eve ate the apple they brought sin into the world in the form of Satan, because they wanted to understand the difference between right and wrong.
Read Genesis chapter two in the Bible.
If we are to understand evil we must have examples of what is wrong.
David was the first good king of Israel, because he loved God and did His will.
Because of his faith he conquered many nations, but he was still a man who had to learn the difference between good and evil.
David was well versed in the laws of Moses.
Laws, that came in the form of the Ten Commandments as found in Deuteronomy chapter 5.
The laws were instilled within him since he was a little boy.
Do not murder, do not commit adultery, were embedded into his mind.
He also knew the punishment for such crimes which was an instant sentence of death.
Yet because he had conquered many lands and had become very rich, he put aside the very commands that he was directed by God to strictly follow, and gave into his human desires.
1 Peter 5: 8, "Be alert, be on watch!Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
" When you are in a world especially designed to teach you lessons of right and wrong you will be tempted.
Sex is the biggest player in the game of life.
It stimulates your senses and fills your body with desires that keep you from thinking with your head.
Of course Satan will use what you see as a means to tempt you into doing wrong.
It goes without saying that Satan will tell you within your very own conscience that it's okay, even when God tells you in the Bible it is wrong.
Knowledge brings freedom to all people who commit their ways unto the Lord.
Christians walk through the world with their eyes wide open because they read their Bibles and pray.
They also have the indwelling Holy Spirit that acts as a guide telling them when they are about to stray from the narrow path of God.
Because David had the voice of the Holy Spirit within him, he suffered a very harsh punishment.
In 2 Samuel chapter 12 God sends Nathan a prophet to tell David what his punishment would be for committing these horrible sins.
2 Samuel 12: 7b-14, "And this is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul.
I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah.
If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much.
Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands?Why did you do this evil thing?You had Uriah killed in battle; you let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife!Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah's wife.
I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you.
You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight.
You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.
' 'I have sinned against the Lord,' David said.
Nathan replied, 'The Lord forgives you; you will not die.
But because you have shown such contempt for the Lord in doing this, your child will die.
'" When you are in a life game there must be repercussions for sin.
In order to understand how bad evil is, we must have consequences for giving into evil.
Because David was a wealthy king his punishment had to be greater than most people would have suffered.
If you read the entire story about David's sons in Samuel chapter 12 through the end of second Samuel, you will see that not only did the baby die, but also three of his older sons died violent deaths as a result of his punishment for sin.
Adultery is always done in secret.
It is a very big player in the game of life because people are constantly around other people through the work environment, church, and friendly gatherings.
You can meet at the Mall or even out jogging in the park.
Adultery can change the entire course of a person's life devastating and impacting the children, grandparents and friends forever of the individuals that are involved.
Follow God and resist Satan's traps!
My eyes suddenly fell upon a beautiful woman through the parted curtains of a small house not far from my home.
The shape of her breast and the curve of her hips sent feelings quickly into my body filling me with desire.
I wanted her, now! I sought to find out whom she was and if she would see me.
I learned that she was married to a person who worked for me.
My heart sank, but my aspiration to see her stopped my better judgment.
I thought to myself it wouldn't be doing anything wrong if I just talked to her.
She could be my friend.
At once I sent one of my messengers to her home with an invitation to join me for a drink.
When she walked through my door my heart began to pound in my chest because her beauty was so stunning.
I showed her my lavish home all the while admiring her sheer elegance.
She was well versed in her knowledge of my décor and furniture.
I was amazed at her culture and realized after a long conversation that her grandfather was one of my closest business confidants.
The more we talked I realized how much we had in common.
I could see from how she smiled and tipped her head up to me on one side that she was interested in everything I said.
She even listened intently and asked the right questions when I talked about my immense business.
It was a wonderful friendship that I looked forward to everyday when she came over to my home.
Before long she was giving me decorating tips and rearranging my furniture.
Each time she came, I would embrace her and kiss her cheek.
It was not long before we shared a kiss that turned into more days with more kisses.
The day that it happened was a gorgeous day full of the fragrance of fresh cut flowers and the warmth of the late spring air.
We had gone into my bedroom for a moment to place a vase on a table and my arm brushed against her back and at once we embraced for a long passionate kiss.
Within a few moments I was undressing her and she was unbuttoning my shirt.
Our bodies united as one releasing our passion for each other.
It was as if this day was chosen to be the beginning of many times we would spend together loving each other.
Neither of us thought about the fact that she was a married woman until our desires were completely satisfied.
What was once the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me turned into worried thoughts? "What have I done? I have sinned against God and committed adultery.
" The expression of sheer delight that had once lit up her face now changed as she hurriedly dressed.
I assured her as she began to leave.
"No one will ever no what we did.
" 2 Samuel 11: 5-11, "Afterward she discovered that she was pregnant and sent a message to David to tell him.
David then sent a message to Joab:'Send me Uriah the Hittite.
' So Joab sent him to David.
When Uriah arrived, David asked him if Joab and the troops were well, and how the fighting was going.
Then he said to Uriah, 'Go on home and rest a while.
' Uriah left, and David had a present sent to his home.
But Uriah did not go home; instead he slept at the palace gate with the king's guards.
When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he asked him, 'You have just returned after a long absence; why didn't you go home?' Uriah answered, 'The men of Israel and Judah are away in battle, and the Covenant box is with them; my commander Joab and his officers are camping out in the open.
How could I go home, eat and drink, and sleep with my wife?By all that's sacred, I swear that I could never do such a thing!'" 2 Samuel 11:14-17, "The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah.
He wrote: 'Put Uriah in the front line, where the fighting is heaviest, then retreat and let him be killed.
'So while Joab was besieging the city, he sent Uriah to a place where he knew the enemy was strong.
The enemy troops came out of the city and fought Joab's forces; some of David's officers were killed, and so was Uriah.
'" 2 Samuel 11: 26&27, "When Bathsheba heard that her husband had been killed, she mourned for him.
When the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to the palace; she became his wife and bore him a son.
But the Lord was not pleased with what David had done.
" There are many mysteries in our world, but to understand why things happen like they do, we must begin by understanding why we need God in our lives.
In the beginning God made our world perfect.
But when Adam and Eve ate the apple they brought sin into the world in the form of Satan, because they wanted to understand the difference between right and wrong.
Read Genesis chapter two in the Bible.
If we are to understand evil we must have examples of what is wrong.
David was the first good king of Israel, because he loved God and did His will.
Because of his faith he conquered many nations, but he was still a man who had to learn the difference between good and evil.
David was well versed in the laws of Moses.
Laws, that came in the form of the Ten Commandments as found in Deuteronomy chapter 5.
The laws were instilled within him since he was a little boy.
Do not murder, do not commit adultery, were embedded into his mind.
He also knew the punishment for such crimes which was an instant sentence of death.
Yet because he had conquered many lands and had become very rich, he put aside the very commands that he was directed by God to strictly follow, and gave into his human desires.
1 Peter 5: 8, "Be alert, be on watch!Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
" When you are in a world especially designed to teach you lessons of right and wrong you will be tempted.
Sex is the biggest player in the game of life.
It stimulates your senses and fills your body with desires that keep you from thinking with your head.
Of course Satan will use what you see as a means to tempt you into doing wrong.
It goes without saying that Satan will tell you within your very own conscience that it's okay, even when God tells you in the Bible it is wrong.
Knowledge brings freedom to all people who commit their ways unto the Lord.
Christians walk through the world with their eyes wide open because they read their Bibles and pray.
They also have the indwelling Holy Spirit that acts as a guide telling them when they are about to stray from the narrow path of God.
Because David had the voice of the Holy Spirit within him, he suffered a very harsh punishment.
In 2 Samuel chapter 12 God sends Nathan a prophet to tell David what his punishment would be for committing these horrible sins.
2 Samuel 12: 7b-14, "And this is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul.
I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah.
If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much.
Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands?Why did you do this evil thing?You had Uriah killed in battle; you let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife!Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah's wife.
I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you.
You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight.
You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.
' 'I have sinned against the Lord,' David said.
Nathan replied, 'The Lord forgives you; you will not die.
But because you have shown such contempt for the Lord in doing this, your child will die.
'" When you are in a life game there must be repercussions for sin.
In order to understand how bad evil is, we must have consequences for giving into evil.
Because David was a wealthy king his punishment had to be greater than most people would have suffered.
If you read the entire story about David's sons in Samuel chapter 12 through the end of second Samuel, you will see that not only did the baby die, but also three of his older sons died violent deaths as a result of his punishment for sin.
Adultery is always done in secret.
It is a very big player in the game of life because people are constantly around other people through the work environment, church, and friendly gatherings.
You can meet at the Mall or even out jogging in the park.
Adultery can change the entire course of a person's life devastating and impacting the children, grandparents and friends forever of the individuals that are involved.
Follow God and resist Satan's traps!