2002-06-08 - Biting

I have done daycare work for about 11 years. During that time, there have been several "biters" who have been in my care. I have to laugh when I think about one child. Regardless how her mother tried to deter her from biting, including using hot sauce and soap, nothing seemed to stop her. She would bite other children, intending to take out a chunk of skin. She was tiny, petite and cute as a button -- but when she opened her mouth...look out.

What finally stopped her... (all those into Child Psychology can close heir eyes) her mother bit her back and she bit her hard. It worked. Kayla never bit anyone again.

This past weekend, after months of dealing with some major life stresses, Rick and I had one of the worst arguments we have had since we were married. I mean ... it was bad. The following day, the damage had been done and the fallout was pretty ugly. It did not take long for us to realize that we were "walking in the flesh" and reaping sin, as opposed to "walking in the Spirit" and reaping fruit. But by then, we had really hurt each other.

While we were busy "biting and devouring" each other, Satan was having a field day. We realized that we were not spending the time we needed to in God's word and in prayer together. This led us to a place where we were thinking of ourselves more than of each other and leaving God out of our relationship. Everything and everyone else seemed to require our time. What a BIG mistake. God reminded me of Kayla. She learned a hard lesson, but she stopped biting.

Once again, the Lord took me to the book of James.

James 1:19 - "Be slow to anger."

James 1:26 - "Keep a tight reign on your tongue."

James 2:12&13 - "Mercy over judgment"

James 3:5&6 - "Let the Lord control your tongue."

James 3:9&10 - "You cannot praise God and curse men at the same time."

James 4:1 - "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?"

James 4:7&8 - "Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."

James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves before the Lord."

James 5:9 - "Stop complaining about each other."

James 5:16 - "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

We made a commitment to the Lord to spend time with Him everyday -- together. Things won't be perfect, but when they are hard, we will be standing in the only hope we have. That is the hope we have in Jesus.

In His Service,
Rick & Sandy

 liv4yeshua@cfdevotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotionals.org