Okay, so recently I have been thinking a lot about temptation, sin, and repentance. Since this is a way I am trying to journal more my thoughts and impressions, you all get to be let in on the scary inner workings of the Michayla brain.
Like I mentioned, I have been studying/thinking about temptation, sin, and repentance so you may see a couple different comparisons. So this one relates to temptation and how Satan traps us. The other day I was walking out to the barn and saw a big 'ol raccoon passing through the field. For some reason I thought of an old book called "Where the Red Fern Grows." It is a great book but also terribly depressing. Anyway, in the book and young boy is working to train his coon huntin' dogs. He has to do some work trapping the coons first. To make a coon trap he gets a big log and drills a hole in it. He then puts something shiny at the bottom and hammers in slanted nails around the hole. When a raccoon comes along and sees the shiny object the critter can't help but try and retrieve the object. When the raccoon grabs it he cannot put his hand out because he refuses to let go of his prize. There you go, you have the raccoon for the taking.
Alright Michayla, how does this apply? Well, as I was thinking on this trapping method, I thought of how Satan uses similar methods. He uses objects that he knows will attract us, then he sets his trap. Here is the funny thing about his traps, you can escape at anytime. No matter how deep in your hand goes, there is always the ability to escape.
Now, is it an easy escape? Of course not! For the raccoon it is natural for them to stubbornly want that object even until death. The items Satan temps us with are temptations that our natural man will stubbornly try to keep hold of. We know in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 3:18 that "the natural man is an enemy to God." Further in that scripture we are taught to "put off the natural man." Through the gift of repentance, communication with our Father in Heaven, the scriptures, the prophets, and all the other tools given to us we can choose to let go of that sin or that temptation.
Agency is a gift that is always going to be present in some aspect. The longer we hold onto the temptation or the sin the more stuck we allow ourselves to become and and the more we will convince ourselves to never let go. So friends I hope this little comparison touches you somehow to stop and think of the sins and temptations you are holding onto in Satan's trap. I hope you will turn in repentance to our Savior Jesus Christ and let it go. He is there waiting to take away your pains and to even take away those sins if we allow him to.
Thanks for reading and have a magical night!
