MESSAGES
"Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God . . ."
—James 1:13 (NKJV)
One on my very best friends was my Cocker Spaniel, Puddles, (you can guess why we named her that). In the 13 years we had with Puddles, she taught me and my family some important lessons of life. One of those valuable lessons was in how to overcome temptation.
On the nights when I would nuke me a bag of popcorn, Puddles was always at the kitchen door letting me know that she was ready to share it with me. As I would carry the bowl of popcorn into the living room, Puddles would make a beeline to my seat and sit herself down with her doggy-bib on, and her lips smacking. She would gaze up at me, her eyes expressing a pitiful look of sadness, as if to say, "Hi Master, remember me, your favorite dog. Could I please, please have some popcorn? I'll do anything you want, Master."
At first I would toss her a couple pieces of popcorn so she could catch them in her mouth. I would then toss a piece of popcorn out into the middle of the living room carpet, a few feet away from her. As she started toward it, she would hear my voice, "No Puddles!" and she would stop in her tracks. She would then sit on her hind legs, glancing over at the piece of popcorn once or twice, turn her head in my direction, and look up at me. Seldom would she look back at the piece of popcorn, even though she desperately wanted to sink her teeth into it.
Why did she continue to look in my direction, and not in the direction of the popcorn? Perhaps it was because the temptation to disobey was too great. Perhaps she realized that in order for her to remain obedient, and not give in to the temptation, she must look at her master.
I'm certain there are times when we might feel like Puddles. How's that? We see something we like, and we try to convince ourselves that we really need to have it. We feel tempted at times, and we begin to wonder if we'll be victorious over the temptation.
Here's my question to you. When does it become difficult to overcome temptation? Answer: When we're looking at the popcorn instead of the Master.
The Bible says that God will always make a way of escape from any and all temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). That escape will only come when we have our eyes fixed in the right direction. I must decide where I want to look. You must decide where you want to look. Where are you looking today? Where are your eyes focused today? Are you looking at the popcorn? Or are you looking at the Master? The Bible tells us where to look . . .
". . . let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us . . . Looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith . . ."
—Hebrews 12:1–2 (NKJV; emphasis added)
Let's always look to the Master,
Pastor / Chaplain Steve |
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