I’ve discovered something I really don’t like about College Place – Spiders!
They have these spiders here that, in the Fall, seem to be everywhere. They spin their webs on my mailbox, on the railings of our front porch and between the plants in the garden.
The thing I hate most is when they make long strands of webbing across the sidewalks. I’ll be walking along, minding my own business and the next thing you’ll see is me frantically flailing my arms, trying to free myself from the spider web I just walked into. It gets on my face and sticks to my arms and hands. The only thing it doesn’t get into is my hair, but only because I don’t have any.
Now, I’m not afraid of spiders. I’d just rather not get entangled in their webs when I’m walking down the street. That’s a good way to ruin a perfectly good walk!
The thing is, I usually don’t see the web strands before I get wrapped up in them. If I saw them I’d avoid them. Sin’s a lot like that. I may not even be looking for trouble, but I’m also not watching where I’m going. Before I realize it I’ve walked into some temptation Satan has strung across my path and I find myself all tangled up in old habits and sins I thought I was done with.
I can free myself pretty easily from a spider web, but when I get entangled once again in old sins and temptations I’m pretty helpless on my own. I struggle and flail about, but I can’t get free without help. Thankfully, help is just a prayer away. God promises “call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm 50:15 NIV).
So, don’t despair if you’ve gotten caught once again in Satan’s web. Call on Jesus and He will set you free from “the sin that so easily entangles.” (Hebrews 12:1). And “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36).