Craig Clouston

Finders Keepers?

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8

As he exited the parking garage, Leon noticed a moneybag lying on the sidewalk. It was from the bank up the block. Looking inside, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “There must be ten thousand dollars in here!” Looking around, Leon closed the bag and stood there, contemplating his circumstances. He knew the right thing to do was return it to the bank. Yet there came a quiet whisper. “Just take it back to your car. Stick it in the trunk. Nobody will ever know; finders keepers, right?”
Leon didn’t know so many thoughts could occupy his mind at the same time.
Then, one thought surfaced to quiet all the others. “It’s not yours.”
He started toward the bank. “To keep it would be stealing. Even if I didn’t get caught, I’d have to cover this up for the rest of my life. Nothing is worth that.”
Leon noticed the TV news crew as he entered the bank. There stood a cameraman, tape rolling, while the reporter walked toward him, microphone in her hand, “Excuse me, sir. We’re doing a special on honesty. We planted that bag on the sidewalk to see how people respond to finding the money. Would it be all right if I asked you some questions?” At that moment, Leon was never so glad to be a man of integrity.

†

Satan is no respecter of men. His only desire is to devour as many people as he can. He consistently leads people into a life of moral and spiritual debauchery because his lies are so cunning.
Have you ever watched a cat sneak up on a mouse? It does not announce its intentions. The mouse never knows it was being stalked until it’s too late.
In the same way, Satan counts on our not recognizing the package until we’ve opened it and it’s too late. He’s banking on our inability to see past the wrapping paper.
Life is full of difficult choices. We will draw our conclusions from the well in which we hold our beliefs. We should examine those beliefs prior to the attack.

Prayer

“Show me when the devil is about to attack, Lord. Don’t let me fall for his schemes. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”