How many of you like to fish? You have a boat, a rod and reel. Your tackle box has pliers, weights, bobbers and colorful lures.

Fancy, shiny, colorful lures.

Why do we fish with lures?

Because they work. They help us catch the main course for our fish fry.

When we attach them to the end of our fishing line, they dance in the water and start attracting attention. The fish swim by to check it out because they figure that they have just found a yummy snack, so they take a big ‘ol bite. But wait! It’s not yummy! There’s a hook buried inside all that dancing colorfulness and now they’re on it and they can’t get away.

Sin is like that.

It looks good. It looks mighty tasty! It looks like everything you’ve ever dreamed of having. So, you take a big ‘ol bite.

You don’t realize your mistake until it’s too late. The hook is buried inside the lure and now you’re on it and you can’t get away.

In every single instance, sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.

We can be forgiven of our sins, but we can’t escape the consequences. That can be kinda yucky. Right?

Have you been there? Are you there now?

Is that colorful lure dancing playfully in the water and you’re tempted to take a big ‘ol bite? Nothing that pretty can possibly be bad for you. You know what you’re doing. You’ve got this under control.

Right.

Satan will tell you “It tastes good”, “It will make you feel good”, “No one will find out.”

Right.

Sin/satan has been around since the Garden of Eden, but you will be the one to bite into a lure and avoid the hook.

Right.

Go ahead and kid yourself because you’re not kidding me.

I’ve been there and, as a human, I’ll be there again. It’s embarrassing. As I get umm…older…those colorful lures are easier to spot. If I see something sparkly and shiny dancing in the water, I probably don’t need to nibble on it.

If it tastes like red velvet cheesecake, I really want to nibble on it. No, I want the whole dang thing!

Sin is selfish. Nothing matters but what I want…now. I’ll do whatever it takes to satisfy the lusty desire, quench the thirst, scratch the itch.

Satan is the Father of Lies. He means us no good, ever. He’s seeking whom he may devour. We’re advised to flee from him. We’re not advised to reason with him or try to change his mind. Flee.

Don’t take a big ‘ol bite of what he has to offer. It may look good, but there’s a hook in there.

Because it works.

Don’t be fooled into going where sin wants to take you.

James 4:7 – Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.

1 Timothy 1:7 hangs above my desk – For God has not given us the spirit of timidity, but of power, love and discipline.

God bless you today as you use His power and discipline to avoid the lure and “just keep swimming”. Have a groovy day!