Temptation convinces us that this moment doesn't matter. It suggests that what we do after hours is no one else's concern. It makes our lives and perspectives small. When we give in to temptation, we prove that we are not strong enough for anything more than what we have.
Grace says, 'every moment counts and can lead to something greater'. Grace seeks to make our lives and perspectives bigger. It gives us the ability to contain more.
David obviously did not think that sleeping with Bathsheba would matter. But it did. Later in 2 Samuel 12, God will say (through the prophet Nathan) that David despised (thought lightly of) Him and His Word. David's actions will also make it easier for the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme Him. I am not sure David meant to do all of this when he invited Uriah's wife to his room. This moment counted more than he could have known.
We will all be faced with temptations this week and next. We will all be tempted to believe this look and that comment do not matter in the long run. Unfortunately, none of us are smart enough to know for sure on this side of the moment. I am not convinced it is even worth the gamble.
What if we assumed that every moment counted? What if we allowed grace to consistently enlarge our lives so that temptations seemed puny compared to what could be ours in the future?
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