Daily Devotional for February 5, 2019
Caught in a Container
Uncle Bob makes me so mad!” Aisha said when she finished a video chat with her cousin. “That was Kali, and she was crying. Uncle Bob has gone off drinking again, and the electric company is threatening to turn off the power if Aunt Grace doesn’t pay their bill by tomorrow.”
Dad sighed. “I feel so sorry for all of them—including Uncle Bob.”
“Sorry for Uncle Bob!” Aisha stared at her dad. “Why do you feel sorry for him? He’s selfish and mean—especially when he drinks!”
“He hasn’t always been a heavy drinker,” said Dad. “We need to pray for him. He’s a slave to alcohol.”
“He could get free if he wanted to! He just—” Aisha was interrupted by a banging sound from the garage. “What’s that?”
“I don’t know,” Mom said. “We’d better find out.” She went to the door and opened it. A strange sight met their eyes. Their dog, Boston, had a plastic container over his head, and he was running around wildly, bumping into everything.
Mom called the frightened dog and gathered him in her arms. She calmed him down while Dad gently pulled the container from his head. “This is the container we used to keep Boston’s dog food in,” Dad said. “He must have smelled it and thought there was food inside and then got stuck.”
“Poor Boston!” Aisha threw her arms around the dog’s neck. “You could have suffocated.”
“What if we’d just scolded Boston and told him how foolish he was for sticking his head into an empty container?” Dad asked. “Would that have helped him?”
Aisha frowned. “Of course not.”
“Scolding Uncle Bob won’t help him either—he’s like Boston,” said Dad. “Boston thought there was something good in an empty container, and I think that’s what got Uncle Bob in trouble too. He thought drinking would make him feel better about his problems. Now he’s caught in a trap so powerful he can’t break loose. Only Jesus can set him free from his sinful habits.”
“Don’t hate Uncle Bob, Aisha,” Mom said. “He needs your compassion and love. Let’s pray for him now and then call Aunt Grace to see how we can help.” – Barbara J. Westberg
How about you?
Do you know someone who is caught in a trap of sin and addiction? Don’t excuse their wrongdoing, but don’t hate the person. Jesus is the only one who can change their heart and set them free. Show them His love and compassion, and pray they will look to Him as their Savior so they can break free of their sinful habits and live for Him.
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