Bible Reading: James 4:4-8; 1 Peter 5:8-10

Braelyn dropped her fishline over the side of the boat and watched the bait sink into the water. “That worm squirming on my hook looks so gross! How could a fish possibly want to eat it?”

Dad chuckled. “It doesn’t look very appealing to us, but to a fish, it’s food.”

“I’d rather starve!” said Braelyn.

Dad smiled. “You might look at it differently if you were a fish.”

Braelyn’s brother Judson cast his line across the water. “The fish don’t notice the sharp hook hidden inside the yummy-looking worms. All they think about is how good the worm will taste. They don’t think about what might happen after they bite.”

“I guess not,” said Braelyn. “If they knew they’d get hooked, they wouldn’t bite, no matter how juicy the worm looked.”

“Maybe not, but they might,” said Dad. “Sometimes we can be like fish.”

Braelyn grimaced. “You won’t ever see me biting on a worm!”

Dad laughed. “No, not a worm. But what about some other kind of bait? I’m thinking of times when there’s something we really want to do, but we know it’s wrong. You could say that Satan baits a hook with things that tempt us to make bad decisions.”

“So it’s like Satan is fishing for us?” asked Judson.

“Something like that,” said Dad. “He likes to trick us by tempting us with things that look good. Unfortunately, it’s easy to fall for his bait and end up making sinful choices that go against God and who He calls us to be as His children.”

A faint tug came from Braelyn’s line, and she gasped. She reeled in a small bluegill and held it up. “Do I have to let it go?”

Reaching for the fish’s mouth, Dad said, “Let’s give this fish a second chance.”

“Hey, that’s like what Jesus does for us!” Judson exclaimed.

“You’re right!” said Dad. “Jesus died on the cross and rose again to free us from the power of sin and Satan. That means we can resist Satan’s bait. And when we do sin, Jesus will always forgive us.”

“Next time I’m tempted to do something wrong, I’ll remember these fish,” said Braelyn. “And even if I get hooked, I know that Jesus will give me a second chance!”

–Chip Montgomery

How About You?
Can you think of a time when you got hooked by the bait of sin? Maybe you were tempted by something that seemed good at first but turned out to be a trap that got you to do something wrong. When you give in to temptation, remember that Jesus will always forgive you when you confess your sin to Him. Because He has freed you from sin, and it holds no power over you anymore. Trust Him to help you resist Satan’s bait.

Today’s Key Verse:
Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (NLT) (James 4:7)

Today’s Key Thought:
Don’t take Satan’s bait