Thursday’s Devotion: That Sneaky Sin

Matthew 26:41  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

We have a new game in our house. I wrap presents and Daisy unwraps them.  So far I was lucky that she only took one present from under the tree and untied the ribbon.  Daisy is one sneaky dog.  She’s very affectionate and smart but when we’re away from home or not looking she takes tissues out of the waste cans and shreds them.  Or she pulls a placemat off the kitchen table (she’s tall for a Jack Russell).  Although she’s eight years old now she only started this in the past year.  She looks so innocent when we’re around and she holds our heart just like out other two dogs.  I think sin is a lot like Daisy.  It sneaks up and does things to get us in trouble when we’re not really paying attention and guarding against it.  It disguises itself in things that are attractive to us and that make us feel good like overspending or drinking or drugs or binge eating. All the presents are up on the counter or table now.  We’re on guard.  Hopefully we are all on guard against sin’s temptations.  Now to get rid of the fruitcake so I won’t eat two pieces at one sitting again……

Precious Lord, we admit we aren’t always on guard against sin.  Guide us please in paths of right living and protect us from the temptations of this world that aren’t good for us.  Instead draw us into your light and love.  We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tuesday's Devotion: Haunted by Habits

James 1:12  (NLT)  God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Night before last I dreamed I ate donuts.  The emphasis is on the plural.  I don’t have a sweet tooth. I’ll eat dessert if I’m out somewhere once in a great while.  I like an occasional piece of dark chocolate candy or a bite-sized Baby Ruth and sometimes ice cream in the summer. But sweets don’t tempt me that much, except for still warm glazed donuts.  The ones from Golden Donuts in Columbus are the best.  Once when I was pregnant, my husband and I bought a dozen fresh from the oven.  We went for a drive and consumed the entire box.  Maybe remembering those donuts at that special time of life is what keeps me so fond of them.  Things from the past trigger present responses.  We develop habits that return even when we aren’t expecting them to.  That’s known as retroactive inhibition.  If you trade a car with the gear shift on the console to one with the gear shift on the steering column, you will probably unconsciously continue to reach for the console to put your car in park.  It takes about 30 days to ingrain a new habit.  Sometimes it takes much longer.  God can help us replace our harmful habits with healthy ones if we make a conscious effort to help ourselves and seek God’s help, too.  I just read an article by a man who smoked 2 to 3 packs a day who prayed for help in kicking his habit.  He wrote that he fell unconscious during his prayer and after he came to never craved another cigarette. I wish it were that easy for everyone, still all things are possible. “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” – Luke 18:27  We can be successful if we identify we have a problem habit, become determined to overcome it, and partner with God for a solution.

We do so much, Lord out of habit.  Some are good habits, some are harmful.  Help us to realize the difference between the two and to put harmful things behind. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Wednesday's Devotion: A Lesson from Mud-Wrestling

Mark 14:38 (NLT)  “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

 A conversation with a friend about men still having a lot of “boy” in them reminded me of a friend's little boys. One day Susannah looked out her kitchen window to check on her boys who were playing in the back yard and found that they had used the hose to create a large mud puddle.  They had taken off their shirts and were mud wrestling.  Susannah was not about to let them track mud into the house, so she stood them on the deck and hosed the mud off of them. Jeffery and Will squirmed and yelped as the cold water hit them, but soon they were clean enough to be dried off and allowed inside.  As she related this to me, it brought to mind a line from an old hymn, “What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”

We may not wallow in sin, like the boys were wallowing in the mud, but we often brush up against it. I often define sin as anything that separates us from God or harms us or others.  Thanks be to God, that because Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross for us, we may be cleansed of our sin.  When we accept the fact that Christ did this for us, we can then say to God, “I’ve messed up, Lord.  Please forgive me and help me to be what you would have me to be.”  Sometimes this cleansing process can be painful as we let go of old habits. However, there is a price to pay in order to enter into His kingdom.  This kingdom is here and now.  We become a part of it, and it becomes a part of us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.  The rewards are both immediate and eternal.  Where have you brushed up against sin recently?  Are you asking God for forgiveness and guidance on a regular basis?  Are you seeking to grow in your faith?   If you need help with any of this, my door is always open to you.

Gracious God, We ask that you help us through the Holy Spirit to overcome temptations that would hurt us or others. Give us wisdom and discernment as we make choices in our lives so that we may lead lives of love, health and happiness.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.