Today's Daily Bread
Unseen Danger
When I was a young child, our family escaped near tragedy. Most of
the main appliances in the house, as well as the furnace, were fueled by
natural gas, but a small leak in one of the gas lines put our lives at
risk. As the gas poured into our little house, our family was overcome
by the lethal fumes and we lost consciousness. Had we not been
discovered by a neighbor who happened to stop by for a visit, we all
could have been killed by this dangerous, unseen enemy.
As followers of Christ, we can also find ourselves surrounded by
unseen dangers. The toxic realities of temptation and the weaknesses of
our own human frailty can endanger our lives and relationships. Unlike
the natural gas in my childhood home, however, these unseen dangers do
not come from outside of us—they reside within us. James wrote, “Each
one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed”
(James 1:14).
Our natural tendency to sin, compounded by blind spots that prevent
us from seeing our own weaknesses, can lead to toxic choices that ruin
us. It is only by submitting to God as He shows us our hearts in His
Word (vv.23-25) that we can live a life that pleases the Master.
Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love. —Croly
Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love. —Croly
The unseen Spirit of God is the greatest protection
against sin’s unseen dangers.
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