*WHAT SCENT ARE YOU TRACKING – THE WORLD’S OR HEAVEN’S*
A MAN bought a new hunting dog. Eager to see how the dog would perform, the man took him out to track a bear. No sooner had they gotten into the woods than the dog picked up the trail.
Suddenly he stopped, sniffed the ground, and headed in a new direction. He had caught the scent of a deer that had crossed the bear’s path. A few moments later he halted again, this time smelling a rabbit that had crossed the path of the deer.
On and on it went until finally the breathless hunter caught up with his dog, only to find him barking triumphantly down the hole of a field mouse.
Sometimes Christians are like that hunting dog. We start out on the right trail, following Christ. But soon our attention is diverted to things of lesser importance. One pursuit leads to another until we’ve strayed far from our original purpose.
Every day we must renew our dedication to Christ or we will be drawn away by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. These worldly influences can divert even the most devout Christian. We easily pick up another scent and follow another trail, perhaps the pursuit of wealth, power, prestige, or pleasure. When we realise that has happened, we must admit our waywardness and ask God to get us back on the right trail.
When the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1519 he was intent on conquest. To assure the devotion of his men, Cortez set fire to his fleet of eleven ships! With no means of retreat Cortez’s army had only one direction to move, into the Mexican interior. Cortez understood the price of commitment — and he paid it.
He did not want his soldiers to possess a divided loyalty. John is not quite as radical as Cortez ! In fact John records that believers are to be in the world but not of the world. Unlike Cortez’s ships, the world cannot be destroyed (at least not yet) and so believers are to be like a ship in water. A ship in the water is by design but a ship full of water is disaster
– IF YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE IS A DRAG, WORLDLY WEIGHTS MAY BE KEEPING YOU DOWN
*Stay Blessed My Friend*
