by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
May 5
Watch Your Step! Matthew 26:41
Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
"Watch your step, sir." How often have you heard this courteous caution? Whether you're stepping out of an old elevator, walking through a construction area, or stepping onto a slippery sidewalk, we all appreciate someone looking out for our best interests.I was glad I was watching my step while hiking through the woods one day with my son, Samuel. It was one of those great father-son hunting trips. Late in the afternoon we were walking along an old logging road, knee high in weeds. For some reason I looked down and instantly froze in my tracks. My next step would have placed my leg within easy striking range of a coiled two-and-a-half-foot water moccasin.
Showing how he got his name, his mouth snapped open, revealing a snowy white interior and needle-sharp fangs bared in anger. It stayed in that cocked position as if to say, "This path is mine. I double dare you to come this way."
The poisonous viper gave me no choice-it was either him or me. So I gave him a "split personality."
How many marriages have been poisoned and even slain by our frequent failures to take seriously the serpents of temptation coiled in our pathways? One trouble is that many of us don't carefully watch for them. In fact, we may flirt with them, daring them to strike, as though we didn't realize their deadliness.
I'm grateful that early in our marriage Barbara risked sharing with me a temptation she was experiencing. Almost instantly the "snake" slithered away as we talked and prayed together.
Jesus knew that temptations would always be just a step away. That's why He counseled: "Watch your step." Are you watching yours?
Prayer:
Consider yourself a "watchman on the wall" on behalf of your marriage and family, and pray that you will be personally alert in avoiding temptation.
Discuss: What recurring temptation have you faced recently that you need to tell your spouse about? What can your spouse do to help you?