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At Silver Dollar City, there’s a red building with a sign with strict instructions forbidding us to look into a hole. Just below the sign is the hole.
Each person passing takes a look inside that hole. They ignore the warning sign that says “DON’T,” and they peek anyway.
Why?
We are tempted because we feel the warning sign is keeping us from something we want or need to see. We don’t consider we shouldn’t for our own good. Instead, we begin to focus on the forbidden.
Adam and Eve weren’t any different when they were tempted by Satan.
“He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’’ ‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:1-6).
Satan tempted them by putting the focus on the forbidden. There was no doubt that there were countless other beautiful trees in the garden, full of delicious fruits.
Instead, just like us at Silver Dollar City, they went straight for the hole and decided to do the one thing they were told not to do.
Don’t we do this daily?
We begin focusing on things God has forbidden us to do instead of remembering all that He has promised to us.
We push back all the wonderful gifts He has given us, and we are tempted towards something He tries to guard our hearts from.
These temptations come in secret, whispered in our ear when no one else is around.
We think, no one will know.
Just look, just this once, inside that hole…
But God, in His infinite wisdom and authority, knows exactly what will happen. and instead, as our father, He tries to spare our hearts, our minds and our lives from the sin and the consequences that follow.
We all struggle with something.
God knows your heart. He knows what tempts you, and He provides a way for you to be without it. There is a way out.
Whatever you are dealing with, I promise you, God cares deeply about it.
No matter how many times you’ve looked into that hole, each day begins anew. His mercies are new every morning. We can start over filled with the Holy Spirit and let Him lead instead of us.
I love this song by For King and Country. Beautiful truth flows from the lyrics as they sing,
“You keep a cover over every single secret
So afraid if someone saw them they would leave
But somebody, somebody, somebody sees you
Somebody, somebody will never leave you.”
This is Jesus.
Do you know Him? He is the living Son of God who gave His life to cover your sins.
He died so you can live.
He was buried and three days later, He rose again, VICTORIOUS over the grave and now He sits at the right hand of God.
He is our Redeemer.
Trust in Him. He knows your deepest and darkest secret sins and hurts, but promises to love you still.
Copyright © 2020 by Yalanda Merrell. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Lifeword.org.