Squeaky Shoes

I was enjoying my morning walk…praying…admiring the beauty around me.
We have had so much rain for the past few days…there was a misty feel to the morning.
I could literally see droplets of water hanging precariously from the leaves.

In the midst of the quiet of the early morning, I heard a strange noise.
I listened intently as I tried to discern where the sound was coming from.
I would hear it…then I wouldn’t.
I realized that it was coinciding with my own footsteps.

My sneakers were squeaking.

The misty morning…the rubber soles against the street…perfect combination.
It made me laugh to myself thinking that I had musical accompaniment as I walked.
I was glad that I was not in a quiet library where the squeak would be magnified.

It was a sneaky little sound…coming and going…but always in step with my steps.
I smiled as I remembered getting new leather shoes when I was a girl.
All dressed up…shoes on…walked into school…squeak…squeak…embarrassment.

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7)

Wouldn’t it be great if temptation would shout?
Instead it sneaks up…crouches…waits for an opportune time.
Sin is so contemptible because it often looks so respectable.
It dresses itself up in leather shoes…and waits.

The obvious squeaks, we can deal with.
We can rid our lives of them once they are discovered.
But the little squeaks…the barely audible ones…the ones you have to tilt your head to hear.
They are the most dangerous.

It would be so much easier if sin had a megaphone.
HERE I AM!  I’M READY TO DESTROY YOU NOW!

But instead it mumbles…it pantomimes…it quietly squeaks.
And we don’t even notice it.

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. (Matthew 4:1)
The devil squeaked his accusations and tried to plant seeds of doubt.
If You are the Son of God…tell these stones to become bread…throw Yourself down…bow down and worship me. (Matthew 4:3,6,9)

The devil’s squeaks were no match for Jesus’ authoritative Word.
Jesus did what any child would do…He quoted Scripture.
The devil’s squeaks cower in the corner as the Word of God drowns them out.

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left Him until an opportune time.
(Luke 4:13)

The devil always has opportune time to squeak.
He crouches, patiently…waiting to destroy.

We must master those squeaks…the way Jesus did.
With the perfect, enduring Word of God.

I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

Hiding His Word in our heart…the best kind of hiding we can ever do.