Explosive Conditions
Be careful about what images and ideas you let enter your mind.
Epictetus
One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. 1 Samuel 11: 2-3(a) {sometime later} In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah . 1 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband) out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die. 1 Samuel 11:14-15
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self. Aristotle
This August in the Sierras, as elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, has brought extremely volatile fire weather conditions. Tinder dry vegetation from current and earlier hot summer weather, gusty high winds, and continued high temperatures. All this sets the stage for potential disaster. Fires have already devastated many areas of the world this summer.
Sadly, lightning is not consistently the primary cause of most fires; indeed, human caused fires now account for 80% to 90% of all fires. Such fires often result in a catastrophic wildfire causing loss of life, property, and long term damage to forest ecosystems , all of which are key to wildlife, plant life, and people’s lives and property. When such fire weather conditions exist, people absolutely MUST exercise extraordinary caution in all outside activities. Dangerous activities include target shooting, campfires, operating machinery that can spark, and debris burning.
As I was considering the weather conditions, and the subsequent likely human – caused wildfires that have occurred, I thought about how this reflects both Biblical stories and our everyday lives. When Bathsheba, a married woman, was bathing on a nearby rooftop, King David chose to watch her, igniting sin in his heart and subsequent disaster. David’s lustful moral failure resulted in adultery, murder, loss of reputation, and a pattern of poor parenting resulting in some of his children’s moral failures.
Temptation is always just a thought away and made worse by many circumstances. When a marriage is struggling or a person is besieged with depression or a parent sets a poor example with substance abuse, the stage is set for disaster. This is when people need to be extremely cautious of temptation to give up and give in to sin, which often hurts not only themselves, but others, as well. We have the choice to seek healing through healthy avenues of our relationship with God, counseling, and family and friends who will hold us accountable for our actions. When conditions are ripe for sin, it’s time to hold tight to the love and power of God and the wisdom of His Word.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with temptation in a relationship or life, encourage them to avert a “wildfire” catastrophe by seeking to step away from the negative draw and turn towards doing the right thing in thought and actions. Offer your support, not judgment. Keep in mind that you’ve struggled with sin too, just in different ways. And, as you are out and about this summer and fall, be careful not to start a wildfire, whether metaphorically or real.
