By Chard

Read: Exodus 21:22-23:13, Matthew 24:1-28, Psalm 29:1-11, Proverbs 7:6-23

“All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.”
(Proverbs 7:22-23)

Relate: Picture this; you are walking in the most beautiful landscape you have ever seen. Colorful flowers sway as the refreshing breeze cools your face. The birds sing as you enjoy your light stroll. You notice a gorgeous little flower. You approach it to take a good look, and then suddenly you fall into a pit filled with manure, breaking your leg and being covered with filth.

Oftentimes temptation can come to us in subtle ways. The world offers the Christian so many pleasures; fleeting pleasures, coming in various forms. Many things around us may seem to be harmless, and we often tell ourselves things that would justify giving in; “It’s just a peek,” “It’s not that serious,” “I can repent afterward anyway.” 

Remember, the everyday world is like being in the New York Times Square; hundreds or even thousands of temptations beckon us into giving in to sin, to desiring sinful pleasures (James 1:14), and eventually to committing the act itself, which ultimately leads to death, spiritual death (James 1:15).

React: “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” — Hebrews 2:1

The author of the book of Hebrews writes that “[we] must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” As Christians, in our hands, we hold the ultimate manual for identifying threats to our moral purity; the Bible. The Word of the Lord is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” the sinful heart of humanity. It is our ultimate guide to discerning the desires and intents of the heart, revealing to us whether this desire ultimately honors God or dishonors Him. It is up to us to decide whether we would use this Word to our best advantage in our desire, our pure desire, to honor the Lord Almighty.

Keep the Word of God in your hearts and minds daily. Keep yourselves full of the Scriptures, that the Holy Spirit, at the time of necessity, may bring the words that you have read into your minds. When one is filled with the Word of God, one is not easily driven to fall into traps. These “traps” become so obvious to the Christian that they are as easily avoided as a crocodile in the middle of a road. And so I urge you to have a daily routine of Bible reading and meditation. Set apart a certain time of the day. For some individuals, that could be the early morning, and for others the night. I, personally when possible, attempt to read the Scriptures in the morning and I can truthfully say that there is a positive difference when I do. I find myself less irritable, perceptive of temptation, and receptive to correction.

Respond:

Heavenly Father,
Praise be to Your name. We thank You for giving us Your Holy Word to assist us as we navigate this sinful, evil world. We pray that You let us remember to keep Your Word in our minds. Lead us not into temptation, and let us continue to desire to let our lives be a living sacrifice to You. Let us remember that our true weapon is your Holy Word.
Amen.