Goal achieved. Now what?

David and Bathsheba. We all know it well. However, why was David not at war? Why did he see a woman and decide to indulge when he had 17 wives and concubines at home? Was it a case of eyes prone to wander? Grass is always greener?

I think he had achieved all he desired. He was wondering if this was all there was to life. All the personal struggles, battles, and strife were over. I think he was out wandering the rooftop contemplating if this is all there truly is to life.

He was the"king". Nothing was out of his reach. Yet he felt empty. He felt incomplete. It was all anticlimactic.

2Sa 11:1  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.
2Sa 11:2  And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
2Sa 11:3  And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
2Sa 11:4  And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
2Sa 11:5  And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.


When you struggle and strive for something for so long and finally achieve it what do you do next?
This was David's problem.
David was done in by the lack of stress and strife. He was off guard because he had "arrived".
David was the "man after God's own heart" yet still a man. Prone to fail and fall.
Wrong place at just the right time.
His army was at war, he stayed home. His men were in tents on the battlefield. He was in the lap of luxury.
He couldn't sleep and went walking. How innocent is that? Until he saw her bathing. Then it was all downhill from there.
He could have stopped there, he could have averted his eyes. He could have not sent for her.
He could have done a lot but he did what he did.

Perhaps the biggest problem we have is when we relax. When we lose our vigilance.

The biggest failures come right after the biggest wins in life. When we let down our guard, or when you realize that the goals and objectives you set and finally reached, are not all they were cracked up
to be.

The sense of fulfillment once you achieve your goal is now gone, the goal or purpose of your days leading up to it, is now gone.

So what now?

Now our purpose is gone, all of our training, our work put into it, is over. We didn't plan for the next day or week. Now we have down time and no plan. What do you think happens?

All the discipline is gone, we fill the hours any way we can and that is not always constructive.

Eze 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor
and needy.

Eze 16:50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

Sodom was condemned for idleness, a life of ease
These things led to other things.

Idleness. Lack of focus, lack of purpose.

It will get you.
for it is in the very moment of victory that we are most vulnerable.
That is when we are least vigilant for it is our "moment".

David was a warrior, the man after God's own heart, king of Israel. and he fell.

Heed his example. David and his family paid a heavy heavy price for that one brief  lack of vigilance.
I know it sounds a bit overly dramatic but it is true nonetheless.
Learn from History.
Pray study and be vigilant for the devil walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.