DEVOTION / What lures you?

Lures are designed to catch

I love to fish. Over the years, I have accumulated a tackle box full of lures. That box contains hundreds of dollars' worth of purchases from past years. Not all those lures have been wise buys. Many did a better job at catching me than catching fish.

 James 1:14 points out that Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed (NIV). That is true around the world -- China, America, every nation!

 Satan – our mortal enemy – uses all kinds of lures to attract our attention. Maybe it's bad websites and pornography. Or drugs and alcohol abuse. Greed for things and money. Appeals to our own pride or the prestige of position. Lots of different lures to entice us.

Lies catch people

 Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and is stalking his prey – looking for the kill (1 Peter 5:8). He is not a "catch & release" kind of stalker.

 Maybe it's easy for you to avoid some of Satan's lures. Maybe it's easy for you to judge others who have been lured into sin and trapped in Satan's snare. Can you hear yourself saying "Well, I would never do that!"

 The Lord urges his followers to be cautious and self-aware. Take heed lest you fall (1 Corinthians 10:12) warns that even if we feel spiritually strong, we can find ourselves falling into temptation.

 Just like different fish are caught with different lures, different people are tempted to sin by different things. Take a look at your own life through the lens of God's Word. What are you tempted by?

 Galatians 5:19-20 details sins that trap men and women: sexual sins, promiscuity, sensuality, lust, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambitions, rivalries, feuds, spreading falsehoods, causing divisions, stirring up conflicts and trouble. The list is long, and if we are honest, we find ourselves lured or maybe even trapped in these sins.

Lord, lead us in a new direction

 You and every other Christian struggle with the lures to sin. Of course, we are not all tempted in the same way or to the same sins. The only hope for us all is that Jesus has conquered sin and death, freeing us from this terrible bondage.

 Instead of judging others who have fallen into sin, we need to encourage and lead them to the forgiveness found only in the Lord Jesus, the Savior of this fallen world.

 316NOW is devoted to pointing sinners to the grace the Lord Jesus has lavished on us.

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, gracious Savior – we struggle with many temptations and fall into many sins. Show us our sins and grant us your forgiveness. Help us watch for lures that lead us astray and reach out to others with the grace, love, and mercy you have poured out on us.

by Dave Payne