Recently, I went to the beach to watch a beautiful sunset. It was comfortable to be wearing a
short sleeve shirt and when the “no-see-ums” as the locals called them arrived
and started flying around my face, I wasn’t concerned, thinking they were only
gnats. Then I started feeling
them on my arms and when I looked down, several were tangled in the hairs. It
must have frustrated them because they began biting. They didn’t bite me
anywhere else except in the short hairs of my neck. The itching didn’t start until
the next day.
My arms had many red welts and itched. When I touched them, a
strong urge to scratch until my skin was gone and my bones were showing hit me.
Just a slight scratching felt so good! Fortunately, I am old enough to know that
wasn’t really what I should do. Children don’t always know that so they scratch
until the places are raw and prone to
infection.
Isn’t that the way temptation hits us. It presents a false
promise that if we submit, it will make us feel better and be lots of fun.
Sometimes, we give in because we haven’t yet experienced the sad and painful
aftermath of sin. Then we go to God in prayer asking him to forgive our
shortcomings. Thankfully, he will do so as long as we are walking in the light
as 1 John 1 says. Then we can learn what Samuel meant when he asked King Saul
if the Lord delights in sacrifice as much as obeying his voice? (1 Samuel 15:22)
Resisting the urge can sometimes be hard, but in the short run
as well as the long run, it is much better whether we are talking about
scratching or sinning.-
short sleeve shirt and when the “no-see-ums” as the locals called them arrived
and started flying around my face, I wasn’t concerned, thinking they were only
gnats. Then I started feeling
them on my arms and when I looked down, several were tangled in the hairs. It
must have frustrated them because they began biting. They didn’t bite me
anywhere else except in the short hairs of my neck. The itching didn’t start until
the next day.
My arms had many red welts and itched. When I touched them, a
strong urge to scratch until my skin was gone and my bones were showing hit me.
Just a slight scratching felt so good! Fortunately, I am old enough to know that
wasn’t really what I should do. Children don’t always know that so they scratch
until the places are raw and prone to
infection.
Isn’t that the way temptation hits us. It presents a false
promise that if we submit, it will make us feel better and be lots of fun.
Sometimes, we give in because we haven’t yet experienced the sad and painful
aftermath of sin. Then we go to God in prayer asking him to forgive our
shortcomings. Thankfully, he will do so as long as we are walking in the light
as 1 John 1 says. Then we can learn what Samuel meant when he asked King Saul
if the Lord delights in sacrifice as much as obeying his voice? (1 Samuel 15:22)
Resisting the urge can sometimes be hard, but in the short run
as well as the long run, it is much better whether we are talking about
scratching or sinning.-