"Tricked" is today's word. May 18th, 2010

"Tricked"

One Wednesday evening in Bible Class, a woman named Savannah was sitting calmly waiting for class to being.  She was thinking about trying to be the best Christian she possibly could be, and she began to feel a bit smug.  She didn't drink.  She had never stolen anything, she'd changed her thinking and her life after being baptised and saved years earlier, before she was married.  She had actually never been tempted other than maybe by desert or a few extras for herself and family from frugal management of the grocery money each week.

Soon Savannah was sure she was a wonderful Christian.  She sat thru the Bible Class, and listened to the evils of sexual promiscuity, thievery, covetousness and other terrible sins.  By the end of the class she was feeling very good about herself and her life.  She spoke to everyone, laughing and smiling, and just enjoying herself.  At home that evening she decided to skip Bible reading, she already knew the basics.

She fell asleep quickly, into an untroubled sleep.  She awoke in the morning feeling absolutely renewed.  At work that day she chatted with everyone, and especially with Joe who worked right next to her.  He was always teasing and flirting with Savannah.  She had always been self conscious about his attentions and kept her distance.  This day however, she thought she had been silly.  He didn't really mean the things he said.  He was happily married and a father of three children.  She was happily married and the mother of four children.  They were intelligent adults who had no reason to worry about some harmless flirtations.

After six months Savannah found herself in a full blown affair with Joe.  They were meeting after work, telling their families lies to get out of their homes and into each other's arms.  Savannah still attended church services with her husband, and occasionally she felt a pang of guilt, but not often.

Another Wednesday night in class seven months after the evening she had decided she was immune to temptation, she actually listened to the Bible Class teacher and to the scriptures he was reading.  Scriptures not about adultery, but she heard scriptures about resiting temptation, being humble.  The teacher read from the Holy Bible, and finally, this time Savannah heard what was being said.

1 Peter 5:5

.... All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

She realized she had allowed the Devil in by being prideful and foolish.  She immediately repented, confessed her sin to herself and began to find her way back to God. 

The devil is a master trickster.

"Tricked"