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Stinkin’ Cute
By Susanne Scheppmann
Key Verse:
“Through
love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man
avoids evil.”
Proverbs
16:6 (NIV)
Devotion:
My
first mistake was that I named him. Every night Stinkin’ Cute appeared by my
door. His sleek black and white fur shone underneath the porch light. The small
critter’s eyes looked up expectantly for a nibble of food. I couldn’t resist. I
tossed a piece of bread which he held daintily between his paws as he gobbled
it. Stinkin’ Cute, a baby skunk, was adorable—until he became a stinking
nuisance.
It
wasn’t long before the animal began to dig holes in the lawn looking for grub
worms. He sat brazenly underneath the lawn chair and pawed around our yard as
if he owned it. My dogs sensed the animal’s presence and barked endlessly. A
nervous fear crept in my mind, “What if he sprays? How will I ever get rid of
the smell from my patio?” I hadn’t realized that Stinkin’ Cute might become
trouble. I assumed that when I tired of him, he would tire of me and up and
leave. Wrong! It took a month of keeping my dogs inside and sprinkling cayenne
pepper flakes across my backyard before Stinkin’ Cute gave up and went looking
for a new place to picnic.
Isn’t
sin the same way? It starts out as a harmless enticement, and before we know
it, we are entangled and can’t seem to escape. One fib develops into a tangle
of lies that cannot be sorted. A small fudging on our travel allowance turns
into full-fledged office embezzlement; a little office flirtation grows into a
sin-filled relationship. Suddenly, we wonder how we got ourselves into this
situation—it seemed so harmless in the beginning.
We
need to eradicate those sins in our life that disguise themselves as
“innocent.” Our key verse tells us that through reverent fear of the Lord we
can avoid sin. His holiness should put our souls in awe.
Thankfully,
Proverbs 16:6 also tells us that if we are involved in sinful behaviors that
our sins are atoned for by the love and faithfulness of God. Today let’s ask
for His help in ridding our lives of any type of stinking sin. Let’s take a
moment and pray for wisdom, fear and forgiveness.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, forgive me for tolerating the small sins
in my life. Grant me the strength to end them today. Teach me to have a
reverent fear for You, my Lord and my Savior. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application
steps:
Read
Proverbs 5:21-24. Rewrite these verses in your own words.
Reflections:
Do
I fear the Lord God?
What
“small” sins do I allow into my life?
How
do my stinkin’ cute sins affect others?
Power
verses:
1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
(NIV)
1
John 2:1, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But
if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus
Christ, the Righteous One.” (NIV)
Psalm
51:3-4, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against
you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you
are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. (NIV)
© 2008 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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