Beautiful day out there today, next few are supposed to be the same.  While it is nice to have these kind of days, it is a little bit scary – much too early in the year for these.  Last few years our winters are waiting later and lasting into April and even May – from what we are being told our winter is pretty much over.

When the east has the overpowering storms as they have this year, the Northwest has a milder winter.  Been that way all my lifetime and many before.  My concern here, of course, is the lack of snow pack in the mountains and how that impacts the water for our area.  Not a good impact either.

Not sure how large Carla wants the garden this year, I know she likes to have lots of flowers and vegetables, but not sure if we can take care of an almost 1 acre garden this year.  If we get behind even a little, it gets away from us.  We shall see....

James 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

I can remember a comedian, Flip Wilson, whose trademark saying was “the devil made me do it.”  It usually got a laugh as he used the ‘excuse’ for doing one thing or another.  That is how many people think as they struggle with temptation and fail, it isn’t their fault, it was the devil that made them do it.

The bottom line is the devil doesn’t make us do anything.  We have a free will and it works when we make decisions to serve God and when we make sinful decisions.

While the devil will use all manner of temptation to hit us where we are vulnerable, it is our decision to submit to them.

James 1:14-15 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

¹⁵ Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Everyone is tempted to do something they know is a sin.  It can be a subtle temptation or a bold one, but all of us face the decision to sin or not on a regular basis.

One of the things they tell alcohol and other drug addicts is to stay away from those things that will tempt them.  Even if they have to change friends, do not go where these items are available.  Keep away from the overt temptations, it is too easy for them to stumble and fall.

All of us have some sin in our past that can haunt us in our walk with Jesus Christ – and satan knows how to use it to make us feel inadequate before God.  To some it is stealing, to others it is lust of the flesh, to others it is gossiping and the list goes on.  It is up to us to keep ourselves away from those things that satan can use to tempt us.  We will still be blindsided at times, but we place ourselves in grave danger if we deliberately expose ourselves to the very things we know can bring us down.

It is up to us to “ lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness” it is within our power to stop sinning, but we must make a conscious effort to set aside those things where we know satan can tempt us. 

The devil doesn’t make us do things; we do them of our own free will.  We have no excuse.

While we are so fortunate that God forgives:

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.      We would be better off to not sin in the first place!

Later Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again