Do you remember the days of elementary school when we had “recess?” The whole grade would go outside at the same time, and each class would usually play a game. Other than a few swings – there wasn’t any “playground equipment” to play on – we played games! A few days ago, I talked about playing “Mother, May I?” Today, I got to thinking about that ole’ favorite – Red Rover, Red Rover.
The class would separate into two teams. They would face each other across the field, with their hands locked together. Then, they took turns saying, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send “so and so” right over. Now, whoever they called – that person would run full-speed across the field and try to bust through the line. If they made it – they got to pick someone on that team to go over and join their team. If the line held and they didn’t make it through – they had to stay on that team and their original team lost a member. The game went on until it was time to go back to class. The team with the most members won.
If you were on the team who was doing the calling – you usually tried to call the weakest person because they had the best chance of not making it through. Of course, if you were that person, you would try to break the hand-hold of the weakest couple – making the odds better that you would break through. The whole game was based on trying to find the weaknesses of the other team. Do you realize that the devil uses the same tactic? He is watching to learn what your weaknesses are and uses that knowledge to tempt you to sin. Peter warns us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”(I Peter 5:8) We are all different, and what is hard for me to resist might not bother you at all. But we can know that “there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13)
Yes, just like our adversary in Red Rover, the devil is also looking for our weak spot. May we hold strong and look for that way of escape that the Lord has promised. God Bless, Courtney