Temptation's Lure

By Richard (Dick) Innes, Daily Encounter Wednesday, January 24, 2007

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."1

From the back porch of her home a friend noticed a beautiful butterfly with its fragile legs caught in a spider's web. It was flapping its wings wildly trying desperately to escape. Feeling sorry for the butterfly, my friend came closer to see if she could help free it. What she saw, though, was that the harder the butterfly tried to escape, the more it got enmeshed in the spider's web. As gently as possible she helped free it and was delighted when it was able to break free and fly away.

It reminded her of how we can so easily get entrapped by sin. A little dabbling here and a little dabbling there. We put our toe in sin's waters as it were and before we know it we are entrapped in the web of our own actions and emotions. And then, the harder we try to escape and free ourselves, the more enmeshed we become.

The fact is we cannot save ourselves from sin's entrapment and its eternal consequences. Only God can do that. He has provided the only way of escape and that is through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave his life to pay sin's penalty. As God's Word says, "By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."2

If you haven't accepted God's salvation from sin's entrapment and consequences, for help click on: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me always to seek to follow your ways and not dabble with sin's temptations. Where I have sinned, please forgive me and free me from the entrapments I have got myself into. Above all, I thank you for saving me from sin's eternal consequences and giving to me the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ my Lord. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV).
2. Ephesians 2:8.

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