Be On Guard Against The Temptation To Quit

When we are most tired of our struggle, we must be aware of the temptation to quit.   ~~~   Several years ago our family went snow-skiing. And one of my favorite things as a father was to ski with my kids, who had never been btw, down a pretty significant slope, and then when we got to a stopping point or to the bottom of the hill, to turn them around and have them look at what they had just conquered. And then say with excitement in my voice, “You want to do it again?” Sometimes the answer, after having looked at the scale of the accomplishment, sometimes the answer was, “No! Absolutely not!” In the actual event of the skiing there is adrenaline. But once you get finished, and you look back towards what you just did, you recognize the magnitude of it, and don’t think that you have it in you. Adrenaline is gone and fear rises, and incapacitates you, even though you were just successful. This seems to be the possible case with David. There was a great victory. And now looking back at what is left of that victory, namely that Saul was not repentant at all, which left David still on the run, the prospecting of keeping up the fight wore him down. More exile, more running. This has been going on for years now, 8-10 perhaps. And it is not just David, it is David’s 600 men, compared to 3000 choice men of Saul. And then we are told that it is not just David’s mighty men, but also wives and children, including two of David’s own wives. David is the leader. He is responsible not just for their safety, but those wives and children. And food! Where do you find food? A band of warrior men might put up with the life of exile and hiding, fighting, midnight escapes, daring raids, but not the wives and the children. And David has been at this for years! When will it let up, settle down? I can’t imagine the pressure, the mental exhaustion, the spiritual fatigue David must have been under, the longing for peace and quiet, stability and ease. And it is at that point that we need to be aware of temptation. It was at that point that Jesus warned his disciples, “Take heed, watch, lest you enter into temptation.” Do you know what the temptation was in that situation? It was sleep. The temptation to rest and sleep in such an important time of their lives. They were afraid. Jesus had just told them that he was leaving. Judas had just walked out. Tensions were high! It could be very easy for us to look at a passage like this, without giving it much thought, and just say, “David just should have trusted God more,” without giving any thought to the stress, pressure, turmoil, ache in his life. Many of you can identify with David right here, can’t you? When will this end? You have been fighting against the enemy, you have even been having victories, learning spiritual truths, but things in your life just don’t seem to change or be advancing at all, and you just want a vacation from it. Let’s just stop the rollercoaster because you want off of it. And it is at that point that you must be on guard against temptation.