God has enriched my life with some fabulous memories, and some of the most precious ones are associated with Lake Erie. My husband and I have spent moments walking hand-in-hand on those sandy beaches, making plans and sharing dreams; we have flown kites, fed ducks, had picnics, and watched boats sail upon those beautiful waters. But Erie is in a state of constant change. Water, wind, tides, and the impact of storms have beaten upon that shoreline causing erosion. Erosion occurs when natural forces cause rocks, earth, and in this case, sand, to be displaced, moved to new places, changing the shape of the land. The installation of offshore break walls has aided in the struggle to protect those beaches, but erosion is a tough process to stop completely. But spiritual erosion, which is subtle and gradual, is much more powerful a force with which to contend.
If King David, that “man after God’s own heart,” were asked to compose a list of Things That Could NEVER Happen to Me, I’m sure that dereliction of duty, adultery, and murder would all have a place on that list. Surely that sweet psalmist of God, a man who could pour his heart out to his God with unbridled passion, a man who would slay a giant with the power of faith, lead his nation with devoted vision, and experience material wealth, military success, and social prestige would be immune to the danger of erosion. But God’s Word warns otherwise: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall.” David’s heart would drift, he would allow idle pleasure and unbridled passion to erode his walk with God. In the course of one short chapter, David would take the subtle slide from one covetous thought concerning Bathsheba to the cold-blooded murder of one of his most loyal soldiers, Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.
Is it not ironic that years prior, David would pen these words concerning his own betrayal by someone he loved and honored, considered a friend: “For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it…But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.” David was betrayed by a man with whom he shared “sweet counsel,” a man who walked “into the house of God” with him. David did not realize at the time that he was painting a graphic picture of his own future treachery toward his faithful servant and friend, Uriah.
None of us are immune to spiritual erosion. We need to scratch the word NEVER from our List of Impossible Disasters and realize the danger signs in our own lives. We are susceptible to erosion just as David was, so let’s “take heed.”
I Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall.
Lord, help me to be aware that I am so susceptible to spiritual erosion. Keep me so close to You that I recognize the warning signs immediately.