Living in a rural area, we have our collection of critters
that visit our home. From deer, armadillos, to the masked bandits - raccoons.
The masked bandits are the most creative and dedicated in finding food.
Waking up one morning, I found the evidence of their nighttime antics strewn over the
deck at the back of the house. I cleaned the mess up - re-bagged the garbage and
went about my day not thinking of the incident any further.
To my dismay, the next morning was more of the same. I again repeated
the clean-up process these little guys left behind after their feast. I
started to think of ways to keep them from gaining access to the garbage.
I blocked the access to the deck feeling confident that the raccoons could
not penetrate it.
Watching and waiting - I caught them. What I thought was an impenetrable
barrier was only a delay for them. They found a way to reach what they wanted - it
was within their sight and nothing was going to stop them.
I even tried to spray the bags and garbage with pure ammonia and not
even that warded off these masked bandits. The bags were still in their
sight.
Think of the things in your life that are within your sight. Those
things that you cannot resist - the sin. The Bible teaches that we are
to remove those things that so easily entangle us. If we do not they
are a temptation and that can lead to sin.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance
and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us
Hebrews 12:1 NASB
In the situation with the raccoons, I removed the temptation and
put the garbage out of their sight. This is what we are to do with
the things that tempt us whether it is movies, magazines, drugs,
alcohol, and even people. With these things removed from our lives,
we are free to run our race!!
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,
but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
1 Corinthians 9:24 NASB
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