The way out

My 8-year-old, Joshua, can habitually antagonize his brothers. He is the "wild hair" out of the five brothers and when he and Isaiah, our 5-year-old, get to playing, it gets loud and obnoxious. Not inappropriate, we just have to pull the reins on them a bit. Especially at 8 p.m. when everyone is winding down for the evening and our 7-month-old, Samuel, is sleeping.

This is exactly what took place the other night. At 8 p.m., Joshua and Isaiah are being loud, chasing each other, playing and forgetting their mother’s directive to be quiet.

Mama's directive versus Daddy's directive looked different and they could tell in my voice and see in my eyes that it was time to stop. Joshua was tempted to go back over and play with Isaiah, but he chose to sit by me. He knew there was safety there because I would have been the one to hand out consequences.

There was safety sitting by daddy. The temptation looked fun, to go play and be wild, but there was safety from consequences next to me.

I wonder how many of us are like that.

Sin is fun to the flesh. The consequences of sin are not so much fun.

Temptation is real, but how many of us take shelter in Jesus? How many of us run to God for safety and security?

2 Samuel 22:1-7

David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul, he said: The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my Rock where I seek refuge. My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, you save me from violence. I called to the Lord, Who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies. For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of destruction terrified me. The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. I called to the Lord in my distress; I called to my God. From His temple He heard my voice and my cry for help reached His ears.

Sin is a snare; it is a trap and it leads to death. Playing with sin is a snare, a trap and leads to death. The wages of sin is death, God's Word says.

I want to encourage you today to run to God, seek Him for shelter. If there is a sin struggle or even temptation, FLEE, run to God! I think of Joseph, he ran!

Just like Joseph ran and just like Joshua came to my side the other night, flee temptation, seek the Lord and find shelter in Him.

Let us keep our eyes on Jesus!