MASTER ANGLER
James 1:14-15
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Doug was planning on a great weekend of bass fishing. He heard had heard that the fisherman had been getting into some huge fish and he believed this might be the chance he had to fulfill his desire to catch a 10 pound lunker, or maybe even a 13 pound bass that would put him in the highest class of Texas fisherman.
The fishing wasn't what he had hoped for. One or two small fish a day. Going into the last day he wanted to give up and go home. But his desire to land that one trophy bass drove him on. His desire for this was almost overwhelming.
He wanted to stay in, but his desire drove him on and at one of his first stops that morning he hooked into what he thought was a log. As he pulled up against it felt a fishes head shake on the other end of the line. After a hard fight he boated what turned out to be a little bigger than 10 pounds, it was over 14 pounds. His desire to do that had kept him going when others would have given up and given in.
The good desires of all people are a gift from God. He has given us each a desire to eat and drink, then He gave us taste buds to enjoy the food and beverages. If we didn't eat we would die. He gave us a desire for sweet rest, if we didn't rest/sleep our bodies would shut down and we would die. He's given us a desire to reproduce and if we didn't, mankind would cease altogether.
As the enemy of God, and all godly things, satan has attempted to twist our desires to pull us into the baited hook that he dangles in front of us. Like a fish going for the bait we are drawn right up to a dangerous point. This is the point that makes or breaks us.
Verse 15 said "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Our God given desires were given for good and when God created man, sin wasn't in the picture. Once we've decided to grab a hold of the bait that satan has hung there, our desire has "given birth to sin" and if we stay there long enough and don't get off of that hook our sin, "gives birth to death".
In Texas Doug had qualified for the "Sharealunker" award. This sets him apart as a master angler. Satan certainly qualifies for this same award as well. He knows exactly what bait to hang in front of each of us to lure us in. He knows our weakness.
One Sunday my pastor said it this way, "If you give satan and inch, he'll take a life.". If we take the bait thinking we're strong enough to withstand the desire, we've already lost the fight, but we can win the battle, when we find the strength to get off of satan's line.
There's good news, in John 1:9 we learn that, "if we confess our sins He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
What a great promise.
Enjoy the desires of life, that ones that God gave us, but do it in such a way that brings life to you and glory to God.
Help achieve the mission - GIVE today
Click the button to sign up for Dean’s Daily Devotional. FREE and delivered daily.