Don’t look at it, Don’t touch it, Don’t feed it! I’ve had experience with stray dogs. We’ve all had strays show up in our yards looking for a home.
When I was a teenager a German shepherd showed up at our house. She was terribly skinny and very hungry. She would look at you with those big liquid brown eyes that just begged you to keep her and give her a home. Well my mother gave in and said we could keep her for awhile until we found her a home! We fed her and fattened her up quite nicely, or so we thought, because very soon she gave us 12…let me repeat that…12 puppies. It took us awhile to find home for all those puppies and eventually we found a new home for the mother. The new owner sent word the following year that she had 12 puppies again!
This is a funny true story, but on the serious side this is what SIN does. The Bible has one thing to say about Sin: Colossians 2:21, "Touch not; taste not; handle not;"
We’re not talking about the SIN that you just go out and look for. The Devil knows that true Christians will never be tempted to rob a bank or murder someone. We’re not even talking right now about that mangy, flea-bitten kind of SIN that EVERYONE KNOWS is bad for you. The Devil knows that smoking cigarettes, cursing, doing drugs or immoral behavior won’t tempt most Christians. However, if a person ever tries or embraces these sins just ONCE, he is quickly entangled and bitten. These kinds of sins ALWAYS leaves behind a bitter scar.
Right now we’re talking about that kind of Sin that shows up at your door with that sweet little look on it’s face, just begging for a home. The kind we don’t mind taking in for a pet for a little while. There is a children’s song whose verses go…Be careful little eyes whatyou see. Be careful little ears what you hear. Be careful little mouth what you say. Be careful little hands what you do. Be careful little feet where you go. There’s a Father up above, looking down in tenderlove…I like two more verses..Be careful little mind what you think and Be careful little heart what you believe.
Let’s learn about a woman who took in a stray animal and the problems it caused her family. The Stray Animal: Genesis 3:1a"Now the serpent was more subtil than anybeast of the field which the LORD God had made.
Be Careful Little Feet:
Eve’s First Mistake was wandering into ForbiddenTerritory. We’ll find out that God told Eve not to touch that tree and was probably told not to go anywhere near it. She either didn’t watch what her feet were doing or she chose to STRAY into forbidden territory. Either way it would soon cause her hurt and trouble. Satan took advantage of this mistake by becoming a beautiful serpent(remember Eve was friends with all animals in the Garden of Eden, so she didn’t dislike snakes like we do today).
Satan caught her attention and spoke to her as an Angel of Light: 2 Corinthians 11:14, "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Do we go where we know we should not go? Was there ever a place where your mother told you not to go…a creek, railroad tracks, in the woods or near a pile of wood? Although these places looked like fun play areas to us as children, there was a reason for our Mother’s commandments, because she knew we could get hurt there. When we grew up, we found that we need to stay away from those places that can and will harm us. Many worldly entertainments hold numerous pitfalls. It’s better to stay away than to take the chance of harm. It’s easier to live without than to live with regrets.
Be Careful Little Ears & Mouth:
Genesis 3:1b-5 And he said unto the woman, Yea,hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" " And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Eve’s second and third mistakes were that she listened to the serpent and debated the issue with him. But wait! Wasn’t He was beautiful to look at? Obviously He was easy to listen to also? ." Galatians 1:8, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
What kind of friends do we choose? Do we listen to them if they try to convince us to go against God’s Commandments? Do we listen to those who are "scoffers" and are "scornful" of God's Word? "Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Do we half-heartedly debate the issue with them hoping to find a loop-hole or do we say “No, I won’t listen and walkaway?
Be Careful Little Eyes, Hands, Mind & Heart:
Genesis 3:6, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
Eve's final mistakes were seeing, reaching, thinking and believing. Eve SAW that the tree’s food was delicious looking, she TOOK the fruit(touched it, ate it). These two actions were done because Eve obviously thought about what the Serpent told her and then she believed his words. Her sin and destruction became complete, not only did SHE sin, she ALSO gave the food to her husband Adam and he ate also.
The more we hang around people, places and things we should not; the more we watch, read and listen to things we shouldn’t...the more we are tempted. One day we’ll actually think about actually committing that sin and believe we can get away with it. Unfortunately, our sin doesn’t just affect only our lives. Our sin’s affect our friends, our family and our children’s lives also.
Some people think of God as a angry parent who looks down on his children, ready to ZAP us, if we do anything wrong. This idea only leads to rebellious resentment on the part of the child. Instead God is our Father, our creator, who wants to make sure His children are not hurt or damaged in any way. Not only does He see our present actions, but He also sees the future consequences; the hurt and the damage those actions will cause us if we continue in them. He is jealous over our protection and wants to direct our paths away from those dangers.
Be Careful little Hearts what you believe.
Doesn't look so cute now does he?By Tammy Washburn
