Temptation (Part 2)

Jul 19, 2025

Gone fishin’ 🎣

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Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires.

James 1:13-14 (NET)

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I’ve never put a Snickers bar on a fishing hook.

🤨

Yes, I know that’s a weird sentence.

Anyway, if I’m out fishing and I want to actually catch a fish, then I’ve got to bait the hook with something desirable to the fish. Sure, I like Snickers bars and might be tempted if I saw one laying around. But a fish? Nope.

We bait the hooks with worms, or minnows, or lures that look like bugs they might eat.

Because they won’t go for the hook unless they desire the bait.

I’m sure you’re making the obvious connection here.

The things that tempt us are things that are desirable to us. And that can be different for every person. One person’s “no big deal” can be another’s utter downfall.

So the question is: what things do you desire that the Enemy can use to lure and entice you?

I’m sure two or three things pop into mind immediately; they do for me. And that means I need to be on the lookout for these temptations.

I’ve noticed that there’s almost always some keys to when I’m most vulnerable to temptation. For instance, when I get stressed, or certain times of the day, or if I haven’t eaten well.

Yes, I’ve studied myself to know when I’m more likely to face harder temptations so that I can give myself the best chance to overcome them.

Also, I’ve found that reading or listening to Psalms helps a lot.

— Ricky Ketchum

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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