“If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
Genesis 4:7
Have you ever wondered why retail and grocery stores place items like magazines, candy, and trinkets near or in the checkout line? It is a selling tactic known as “impulse buying.” The intent is to lure consumers into buying something they had no intention of getting. For me, it is the infamous chocolate bar that always catches my eye when I am at the grocery store, and if it is white chocolate, it’s a done deal. Been there, done that!
Impulse buying is triggered when someone sees a product or a well-crafted ad that entices that person to make a purchase. It’sIt’s known that some 20 percent of what shoppers purchase at the grocery store results from impulse buying. “Okay, what’s with this Shopping Channel history lesson?” you ask. I am glad you asked because the strategy of impulse buying is an excellent example of Satan’s plan to tempt people into acts of sin to disobey and defy God. It’sIt’s an approach one might term “impulse sinning.”
Have you ever noticed how the temptation to sin often comes when we are on a spiritual high? A friend once shared with me how he had a wonderful time of worship at church one Sunday, and after the service, as he was getting into his car to leave, his key got stuck in the door jam. After a couple of attempts to recover his keys, they remained lodged. He became frustrated, angered, and perhaps even used some choice words, and after he lost his temper, he said he heard a voice in his mind say, “Got you!”
That’s how Satan works, and once we stumble, he will continually remind us of our failure. He will whisper in our ear, “Oh my, God will never forgive you,” or “…and you call yourself a Christian” Hey, we will never see the open road that God has placed before us if we are constantly looking in the rearview mirror of life, so the next time Satan reminds us about our past, let’s remind him about his future, which is the eternal lake of fire.
Therefore, let us keep the psalmist’s words in mind who prayed, “Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me” (Psalm 40:11/NIV).
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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