STAY OUT OF THE MUD

As a child you may have enjoyed jumping in mud puddles or even running
where there was lots of mud. This may be more of a "boy thing" than
for girls, but making mud pies and playing in the dirt was fun for
those who did it but not the moms who did the laundry. When I hike a
few days after a rain there is often mud you have to avoid or you may
slip and fall, particularly when ascending or descending the trail.
Mud can make a huge mess of things. But then along come the water
hoses to clean everything up. Jesus is like our water hose to clean
off the sinful "mud of life".

Sin is like mud. It may be fun to play around in but after a while you
are covered and unclean and really no one would want you to come sit
on their living room couch. Sin can be fun but it has a sinister side.
Initially the fun may be there even when you know you are unclean and
have to get cleaned up again to go anywhere.

Are there sins in your life you find that captivate you? There are not
big sins and little sins, there is just sin. Some may have much worse
outcomes for those participating but to God it is sin. In Hebrews
11:26 (NIV) it speaks of there being pleasure in sin for a season.
Romans 3:23(NIV) reminds us ' We have all sinned and fallen short of
the glory of God'.

Do not think just because you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life you
will no longer be tempted to do what is evil in the site of the Lord.
Temptations come. Satan is tricky. He makes things look good and
appealing just like he did with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden
with the forbidden fruit they were told not to eat. Satan was cunning
and said 'you shall not surely die'. (See Genesis 3:4).

Sin is like sheep in wolves  clothing. It is a trap and a snare. The
devil is a liar, deceiver, and full of evil. Scripture speaks of him
coming as an "angel of light" or in other words you would not really
believe it was him. He will trick many. What we need to do is to
exercise our senses and stay in the word so we can recognize evil when
it rears it's ugly head. Hebrews 5:14(NIV) says 'But solid food is for
the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish
good from evil.'

Satan is kingpin of evil in this world. We are in a battle of good and
evil. Staying close to God and running from evil is the best way to
stay out of it. We are in spiritual warfare for our very souls. Satan
is always trying to get us to follow him into the "mud puddles" of
life. He wants you to saturate yourself with his kind of fun and
forget the Lord and forget God's word which can and does keep you on
the right path when you read, study and follow what is in its' pages.
My challenge to you today is to commit to read God's word every day.
Train yourself in godliness and be able to recognize the attacks of
the enemy and run far and fast the other direction.

PRAYER: Dear Lord I am so grateful to live in a nation where at the
present time we are free to read our Bible and have it out in the open
and not get arrested. We know Satan is working overtime to try to
destroy the godly nation of the United States. Use me Lord as you see
fit in your kingdom work to spread the word and be a light in the
darkness. Help me stay out of the "mud puddles" of life. In Jesus'
name. Amen.