SATAN—THE MASTER TEMPTER!

1 CHRONICLES 21:1
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

The Bible text says Satan caused David to take a census. Can Satan force people to do wrong? No! (This dispels the Satan made me do it excuse) Satan only tempted David with the idea, but David decided to act on the temptation. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been tempting people to sin. David's census was not against God's law, but his reason for the census was wrong—pride in his mighty army. He forgot that his real strength came from God. Even Joab, not known for his high moral ideals, recognized the census as sin. From David's example we learn that an action that may not be wrong in itself can be sinful if it is motivated by greed, arrogance, or selfishness. Often our motives, not the action itself, contain the sin. We must constantly weigh our motives before we act.

Please Lord, help to fall on my knees and consult you.....