King David’s sin had its baleful results. “Now his subjects, having a knowledge of his sin, would be led to sin more freely.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 723. Many around us, of whom we may not be aware, are affected by both our words and actions. We must continually be on guard so that by our example, others are not negatively influenced by the ripple effect of evil.
“His authority in his own household, his claim to respect and obedience from his sons, was weakened. … His evil example exerted its influence upon his sons, and God would not interpose to prevent the result. He would permit things to take their natural course, and thus David was severely chastised.” Ibid.
Many times we hear the words: “Well, Mom does it,” or “Dad talks that way,” or “Everybody else is doing it.” No one lives to themselves. By every act, there is a ripple of either good or of evil, which proceeds from each one of us touching the lives of others.
The magnitude of an evil ripple is tremendous when a “little white lie” is told, or any impatience or anger is displayed. There is also an evil ripple that goes forth to all around when somebody professing Christianity is living a worldly lifestyle. David’s sin, besides affecting his own family, made a great impact on his entire realm.
Our influence also, whatever it may be, sends ripples to all around us, either for good or for evil. Because of the things that we say or do, somebody will stand or fall. When we try to lessen the guilt in our lives with excuses, we are told: “Those who, by pointing to the example of David, try to lessen the guilt of their own sins, should learn from the Bible record that the way of transgression is hard. Though like David they should turn from their evil course, the results of sin, even in this life, will be found bitter and hard to bear.” Ibid.
David was not a man after God’s own heart when he sinned. We no longer carry the name of Christian, being Christlike, when we sin or while walking in sin. At the moment of sin there is a shadow ready to carry its evil ripple to all around.
“The history of David furnishes no countenance to sin. It was when he was walking in the counsel of God that he was called a man after God’s own heart. When he sinned, this ceased to be true of him until by repentance he had returned to the Lord. … Though David repented of his sin and was forgiven and accepted by the Lord, he reaped the baleful harvest of the seed he himself had sown.” Ibid.
It is a good thing to choose to walk in heavenly places, so that we may never see or feel the baleful harvest of wrong choices. The results of all those seeds we sow are influenced either for good to God’s glory, or evil to honor Satan. What is your choice?
O Lord, I choose to walk in the light of Your will—in heavenly places. If I fall beneath Satan’s hellish shadow of corrupt character seeds, wash me and remove any ripples that may poison someone else and lead them to sin more freely because of my choices. Alert me to any danger and allow nothing but your heavenly atmosphere to flow forth through me to the praise and glory of Thy name. Amen.
Turn this key to the storehouse and humbly enter in where the ripples of dark shadows have no life.