Wolf Trap

Bible Reading: James 1:12-16

Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. James 1:14-16

DO YOU KNOW how an Eskimo traps a wolf?

First, he takes his hunting knife and hones the blade until it’s razor sharp. Then he coats the blade with animal blood and allows the blood to freeze on the knife. He does this several times, layer after layer, until the blade is coated with frozen blood.

Next, he takes the knife to a place where wolves have been spotted or where their droppings have been seen. He buries the knife handle in the frozen ground so the blood-coated blade is sticking up. Then he leaves. That’s all there is to it.

You see, a wolf will smell the blood on the knife and follow his sensitive nose to the source of the appetizing scent. Upon finding the knife, the wolf will carefully lick the bloody ice. As he does so, the frozen blood will arouse his animal hunger, and he’ll begin licking faster and faster until the ice is licked away, and the sharp blade is exposed. Because of his ravenous hunger, the wolf doesn’t notice when the naked blade begins to shred his own tongue and the blood he is licking becomes his own. He continues to lap up the blood from his own tongue until the loss of blood weakens him, and he slumps down in the snow to die.

That is a picture of how temptation traps us. Like the wolf, we think that doing wrong—whether it’s lying or cheating, using drugs or smoking cigarettes—is fun and safe. But without realizing it, our evil desires lead to evil actions, which lead to danger and even to death.

Don’t be fooled by the temptation to sin. The wrong choice may seem attractive, even delicious—but it will ruin you in the end.

REFLECT: What four steps to death does today’s Bible reading talk about? Does God tempt you to sin? Where does the temptation come from? Do you think temptation to do wrong ever has good results? Why or why not? What can you do to resist temptation?

ACT: Place a butter knife (not one with a sharp blade!) in a conspicuous spot today, where it will remind you of the dangerous lure of temptation.

PRAY: “Lord, I’m trusting you to help me resist temptation and walk away from the lures of sin.”