Issue 1402 – A Late Night Swim – March 22, 2024
More years ago than I care to admit, I took a brief, very early summer camping trip to a mountain lake (not the lake in the photo). The first night, the lake was beautiful, and the moon was bright. I felt like going swimming but hadn’t brought my suit. The campground was deserted, and no one was around for miles, so I decided to go sans suit, a.k.a. skinny dipping.
I dropped my clothes on the dock and jumped in. I can’t say I dove because I don’t dive. The instant my body hit the water, I realized it was barely above freezing. It was a good thing that the campground was deserted. When I hit the icy water, my scream might have brought out some concerned people.
Then, I’d have been frozen and incredibly embarrassed.
If it had been possible to jump back out of the water again, I think I would have. Even without jumping, it didn’t take long to get out of the water and get dressed, but it did take a long time to get warm again.
So much for skinny dipping in moonlit lakes.
Sin can be as attractive as the lake was that night. Satan seldom tempts us with a picture of something ugly and unappealing. He tempts us with things that appeal to us. He offers pleasure, power, status, success or whatever will get us to bite.
If we saw the ugliness of sin, we wouldn’t be so tempted. We think of the brief pleasure rather than the long-term impact. We delude ourselves into thinking that it’s only a small compromise or that no one will know. We justify by saying that everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn’t we? We tell ourselves that the Bible is old-fashioned, and God probably didn’t really mean that.
Satan is the master of deception. He can make things appear as they are not, even making himself appear as an angel of light.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 2 Corinthians 11:14 -15
He didn’t tempt Eve by telling her that the fruit would bring about death, not only for her and Adam but for all generations to come. He didn’t tell her that by disobeying God, they would make us all slaves to sin. He’s usually far more subtle than that.
Don’t be deceived. All sin is rebellion against God. All sin has consequences. All sin eventually impacts others around us.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9
Satan is looking to devour you. If you are a believer, he can’t take away your salvation, but he can make your life miserable and reduce your effectiveness.
Before jumping, check it out. Ensure you’re not jumping into something that isn’t what it appears to be.
Until next time, stay on the alert and keep your eyes focused on Christ.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV)