May 26 - The Danger of Solitude

King David, a man after God’s heart, faced the greatest temptation of his life when he was by himself, alone and without the presence of God. All indications pointed to his spiritual weakness at the time. He abdicated his rightful position of leading the army to Joab. His complacency was shown by the time he got up from bed, in the evening! His purposelessness can be seen in his walking on the rooftop of the palace, looking around the neighborhood. When he saw Beersheba bathing, his lust was aroused and the rest is history.

In short, one sin led to another. The sins of idleness, complacency and laziness led to the sin of adultery, which in turn led to the sins of deceit, cover up and eventually murder. Such is the horror of sin, spreading like wild fire, out of control. If you look carefully at the onset, you would find the origin of this sin as from being alone. When one is alone, one can have the idea that God is not there and one can do whatever one wishes. Being alone without the presence of God is very dangerous.

Men, in their dark caves, would do things that they would otherwise not do. Many are into pornography or video games when they are by themselves. Women would often fantasize through watching soap or reading novels when they are alone. This is how addictions are formed. If there are things you do when you are alone but do not do in front of others, then you are in danger. When you are not accountable to another person for the alone times, then sin could easily creep into your life.

The word “solitude” is a good word. People want their own space, their own world and their own place. When the door to the room is closed, many will go into their own little world apart from others. For Christians, this word “solitude” is an oxymoron and a contradiction. Since God will never leave us or forsake us, we always have the presence of God with us. If the Holy Spirit is indwelling in us, we are never alone. There is not one moment in our lives that we are by ourselves. “Solitude” is the lie of the enemy, telling us that God is not there with us and we can do anything we want.

Even one moment when we are out of God’s presence, the devil can tempt us. That is why the bible teaches us to pray continually and unceasingly. In prayer, we invoke the presence of God; or rather, we are brought into the realization of God’s presence. When you are alone, it is time to pray and seek God’s face. Anything that you do is under the watchful eye of the Lord and His presence enables you to win a victory over the devil’s temptation. What do you usually do when you are alone? Do you have a dark cave to retreat into? Have you fallen into sin again and again when you are alone? Invite Jesus to come into your aloneness. You are never alone!