I took Cali and Kirby on a run this morning. We were jogging at a comfortable pace when, suddenly and without warning, both dogs charged. I had a combined total of approximately 130 pounds of pure dog meat racing toward a telephone pole near a busy street. Unknown to me, a squirrel happened to run across the sidewalk right in front of the dogs. All four barrels (some of you might understand that phrase) of both dogs kicked in. Had I been any lighter in weight or any less strong, I would have been road-rash. After skidding about 15 feet, I managed to stop the dogs. The squirrel ran to the bottom of the telephone pole and proceeded to do the most taunting try-to-catch-me dance I had ever seen. The squirrel wiggled at the base, ran up the pole about two feet, ran back down, danced some more, before deciding to go up for good. I should have let the dogs loose to give the squirrel a lesson in humility.
I could not believe the strength of those two dogs. No wonder they use dogs for pulling sleds. I was a bit perturbed with Cali and Kirby, however, I knew the temptation of catching a chewy squirrel was too strong for any dog’s self-control.
1st Corinthians 10:13 states, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (NAS).
Do you have temptations that seem impossible to control? I am sure we all fight with temptations. Those temptations can make us feel like prisoners. Even though these temptations might take you on a 15-foot skid, God does provide us with the ability to stop. Next time you feel a temptation dragging you out of control, ask for God’s help to put on the brakes.
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