May 23rd
Satan's Lures
A pastor began his sermon by saying, "The other day I was going down the street and I noticed a drove of pigs following a man. Out of curiosity I followed him and found that they were following him to the slaughter house. I was anxious to know how this was brought about, so I asked. The answer was, 'I had a basket of beans under my arms; I dropped a few here and there as I came along and so they followed me.'" The minister continued his sermon by drawing a comparison to Satan and His bag of beans. He, too, drops them as He goes along; and what multitudes He induces to follow Him - and yes, follow Him even to the slaughter house (here) and to the pits of hell (eternally)."
I have given that much thought. So, I say to myself, "What is in His bag of tricks/beans?" What is it that He drops in front of me that I fall for?
I have come up with just a few of the many beans in His bag. There is discouragement. Wow, that is a big bean to swallow. But how many times have I done it? (You ever??) Then there is worry about what will happen as a result of what I am going through. The beans continue with names like: dwelling on the negative, worrying about "what if", Poor me (this is a kidney bean). How so? It developes the gaul of bitterness and affects our inners. Need I mention Why me? Oh, the bag is full, but I think you have my full meaning.
I could add to the beans, Biblical words such as cucumbers, melons, onions and garlic. The children of Israel wanted to return to "their captavity". Numbers 11:5 says that they remembered this is what they had in Egypt. "We ate at no cost". Well, for me I perfer to eat on the manna that comes from Heaven, rather than the beans from Hell. What about you?
My prayer for you
May this one, Lord, be aware of the pitfalls that are around them...the beans that lure one away from victory in you. True, the broad and crowded thoroughfares are strewn with beans of evil. Wide is the way to destruction. I pray that this on-line reader will say, "Enough, I will not continue to swallow negative thoughts in my life." In the name of Jesus.
Amen