"...Sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."(Gen.4:7b)
DANGER. SIN. It crouches at the door of our hearts. It lurks. It awaits an opening. A crack. It seeks to come in--any way it can. It positions itself at the right angle. It knows every weakness within us--pride, envy, lust. It stands ready to entice and stimulate the desires of our hearts with manufactured satisfaction and false hope. It elevates itself to a place just beyond our reach and dangles a gold-coated ring of dust. It tells us the words that we long to hear confirming our view of others. It validates that we deserve the best and the rest deserve less than we. It cajoles; it flatters; it deceives and it baits. And if we don't master our thoughts and our longings--sin closes the door behind us. Our choice shuts the door to protection and opens it to destruction.
What crouches at your door? What waits in the shadows of your heart? Self-satisfaction? Bitterness? Righteous indignation? Unholy thoughts and images in your mind? Pretense or pride? Has your pleasure for a season slammed the door in God's face?
"Oh, that there were even one among you [whose duty it is to minister to Me] who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on My altar to no purpose [an empty, futile, fruitless pretense]? I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts." (Mal.1:10)
We must master the sin in our lives. How?
We must repent and allow the Master to master us. "Be earnest, unwearied and steadfast in prayer life, being alert and intent in [our praying] with thanksgiving. And at the same time pray...that God will open a door to us for the Word to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ..." (Col.4:2,3)
Oh God my Father in Heaven above, let me be holy and acceptable in Your sight. Keep me from myself, dear Lord. Protect me, Lord, from me. Cleanse me, Lord so that I may be able to show The Way to Your Door. Amen, selahV [copyrighted, selahVtoday, 2007]
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