Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ~~ 1 Peter 5:8 NIV
Chase loves to play baseball. In baseball runners are allowed to steal bases to advance. In order to steal, the runner has to watch his opponent waiting for the right time to take advantage of his opportunity. Different leagues have different rules about leading off (stepping off the base to get a head start). In Little League, there are no lead offs. The runner must not leave the base until the pitch has been thrown and the ball crosses the home plate. Also, the runner may not run if the pitcher is on the mound with the ball.
While observing this sport this season, I’ve noticed that a runner on third will watch the pitch, wait for it to cross the plate and he’ll step off a few steps hoping the catcher will miss and the pitcher won’t run up to cover. This runner is just looking for an opportunity to put a run on the board. This is where it is important for the catcher and pitcher to be alert—keeping their eye on the runner. In one game, I saw the catcher return the ball to the pitcher. As the pitcher turned around (not watching the runner on third) and moped back to the mound, disgruntled about his last pitch, the runner took off and stole home.
The Scriptures warns us to be alert as we have an enemy who waits for an opportunity to advance his way into our homes. If we turn our backs on him because we’re frustrated with the way we’re living our life, the devil will pounce on us like a lion. We must be self-controlled and alert.
To be self-controlled we must live a life of obedience and repentance. Yes, the pitcher threw a bad pitch. And yes, we make bad decisions. But if we mope around in those bad choices, the enemy will steal home on us. We must repent and get on with the game. To be alert, we cannot allow a bad pitch cause us to let our guard down. There have been times in my life that I got so caught up in one particular situation; I let other areas in my life slide. The enemy takes advantage of those times.
Let’s live a controlled and alert life keeping the evil one from taking advantage of us today.
Engrafted by His Grace--
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6 gracious comments:
This is so true. He will slip in and destroy us if we let him. I think discouragement is one of his biggest tools.
Is that ever true! Thanks, Shonda!
Satan just waits for us to drop our guard and then He moves in for the kill. This is why Bible study is so crucial to my life and walk.
Leah
Great use of a sports story to illustrate a spiritual point. And, since I have coached baseball for years and am now an umpire, I esp liked it.
Close games are often won or lost based on a how well a coach can read a situation and make a critical call. Just as the base coach is watching the response of hte pitcher, we know the evil one is watching us, waiting.
I do think it encouraging in the story of Jesus' temptation that if we remain faithful, as you ably discussed here, Satan will leave. He may come back, but God does see to it that we get moments of respite.
Good post.
Just stopping in to say hi. What a great parallel you drew here. You have such a wonderful way of taking everyday things and situations and bringing out spiritual applications.
Hope you have a great week!
Karen
P.S.
Looking forward to reading your article this coming week in Take Root magazine.
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