Side Steps
From Livestream
by Brother Josh Linton on January 15, 2017
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 when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD (II Samuel 11:1, 27, KJV).
In our walk with the Lord, we’re commanded to move where He tells us to move, but more importantly, to move forward in Him. But, because we’re human, we have a tendency to make lateral moves—side steps—in our walk with God. The Lord will tell us one thing, but when we start to question, or doubt the plan of God, we pause. The moment we hesitate in God, we’ve made a side step in our journey. When we doubt God, we give place to the devil to come into our lives and influence us to take action contrary to the Word.
King David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). He had retrieved the Ark from the enemy, won many battles, and had God’s favor. But, one day he decided to take the day off. He didn’t move forward; he didn’t take the step God wanted Him to take. And, the moment he did, the enemy crept in.
Just because we’re not doing something, doesn’t mean we’re not doing something. Failure to take action for the Kingdom of God will be an action for the kingdom of flesh. When we’re not working for the Lord, we’re working against Him.
King David was called to be a leader of the people and to partake in battle. But, instead of taking action, he sent Joab. He did not fulfill his kingly duty appointed by God. Scripture tells us the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (Psalms 37:23). If we don’t follow God’s steps, we’re being disobedient.
David felt that in all of his works, he deserved a day off—a hiatus from his kingly duties, a vacation from God. But, in his “break,” and “I deserve it” mentality, he took a side step away from the righteous king he had been. Our side steps in God are not just “side steps”—they move us in a direction backward, away from God. God wants us to fulfill His will and to be faithful every day. Our one moments can impact us for a lifetime.
When David decided to take a side step, he didn’t take it alone. He brought other people into his mishap—he sent Joab to battle, another servant to glean information about Bathsheba, and then engaged Bathsheba in an adulterous act.
When we side step in God’s kingdom, how many people do we truly impact? How many souls will we miss because we’re taking a day off? How many other people will have to pick up our slack because we aren’t pulling our weight in the body of Christ? We must remember our side step doesn’t just impact us and it doesn’t just last for a moment.
Our human nature encourages us to try to cover up our sin. Adam and Eve were the first to do this in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:7–8). But, we can’t fool God for He is always present and knows all things. Instead of fooling God, we fool ourselves.
David tried to call Bathsheba’s husband home from battle to cover up his adulterous act, but when this plan failed, he tried to cover up his sin again. This time, his cover up led to the death of a man. David’s sin—his side step—turned from not only his initial disobedience, but to adultery, and then to murder. We can’t cover up our sins today, but confess them and repent. There is no other way to turn our life around, to get back on track, and to get right with the Lord.
Today, we need to open our entire heart to God and repent when we take a side step. We need God’s presence to intervene in our lives and help us get back on track—back on the path ordered by the Lord.
Without grace, David wouldn’t be the man that he ended up being; we’d only know him for his side step. But, God sent a prophet to tell him what he’d done wrong, and David repented for his sins. If we seek after the Lord, God will reveal to us what we need to change and cover us with His grace. Let’s not take a side step today, but take a step with God, and step forward in Him.
