Daily Devotional for February 21, 2018
Eyes on the Prize
Kieran watched as his uncle put a bone right in front of Trixie. “No, Trixie! No!” Uncle Stan told the puppy. “Look at me!” Trixie looked straight at her master’s face, then glanced down at the bone she wanted
so much. “Trixie, no! Look at me!” The dog raised her eyes and gazed
again at her master, ignoring the bone.
“Why does Trixie have to look at you?” asked Kieran.
“If she looks at me instead of at the bone, she’s more likely to obey.”
Uncle Stan had Trixie sit and lie down, then he picked up the bone and gave it to her. “Trixie just showed us how we should act when we’re tempted to do something wrong,” he said, patting Trixie on the head. “If we’re focused on whatever it is that’s tempting us, it’s easier to give in. But if we keep our eyes on our Master—Jesus—we’re far more likely to obey Him.”
“How do we keep our eyes on Jesus?” asked Kieran. “We can’t really see Him.”
“You played in a tennis competition a few weeks ago,” said Uncle Stan. “You worked so hard to be in shape. Why did you do that?”
“I wanted to win the trophy,” said Kieran. “And I did!”
“So you understand what I mean if I say you had your eyes on the prize?” Uncle Stan asked.
“Yeah,” Kieran said. “I couldn’t really see the trophy, but I kept thinking about it and what I had to do to win it.”
Uncle Stan nodded. “We can do what God wants us to do by keeping our eyes on the prize—Jesus! But unlike your tennis competition, Jesus has already won the trophy for us. He saved us by dying for our sin, and He gives us the ability to do what’s right. That’s why we need to keep our eyes on Him. When we’re tempted to do something we know is wrong, we need to remember that He’s already won the battle against sin and that we belong to Him. That’s how we resist temptation and obey Him out of gratitude for the reward He’s won for us. All we have to do is look to Him.” – Caroline E. Yost
How about you?
Do you keep your eyes on Jesus? When you’re tempted to do something wrong, remember that He’s already won the battle against sin and has given you the reward of eternal life with Him. Sin doesn’t define you anymore, and Jesus gives you the power to obey Him instead. Keep your eyes and heart focused on Him and trust Him to give you strength to fight every temptation.
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