Mother, Grandma and little Robby walked together into the fabric shop. Right away Robby noticed a tall rack with hundreds of cards of colorful buttons hanging on it. He put his hands behind his back and toddled over to the rack, muttering to himself, “Don’t touch, don’t touch, don’t touch.”
But when you’re only one-and-one-half years old, it’s so hard to see something you want very much and still not touch it because you aren’t supposed to. Grandma helped him out. She picked him up, took him to a safer spot, and then went back to her job of matching thread with the fabric she was buying.
Pretty soon she heard that little voice again, “Don’t touch, don’t touch, don’t touch.” But this time one chubby little hand was clutching a card of bright orange buttons.
It had been just too hard for Robby not to touch those cards of brightly colored buttons even though he knew he shouldn’t. His first mistake was to go near them. And how many of us who are older still have not learned that lesson-not even to go near things that we know we should not have. It is called temptation. We are tempted to touch, or see, or hear, or taste, or try something that is not good for us. And the minute we go closer, it becomes even harder to turn away from it.
Grandma took Robby away from the buttons the first time, but when he went back to them he got into trouble. It takes little children quite a while to learn what they can touch and what they cannot touch. God gave them a father and a mother to teach them those things. And God has given us His Word, the Bible, to warn and teach us about temptation. It tells us that Satan is the one who tempts us with those things that will get us into trouble. And when we touch, or see, or hear, or taste, or try that temptation, it is a sin. James 1:1515Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:15) tells us, “When lust hath conceived [when we follow that temptation], it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” And that is exactly what Satan wants! Every sin is a victory for him.
But the Bible also tells us that we can have a victory over temptations and sin. But we can’t do it alone. There is Someone who loves us and is waiting to help us at any time. He has already won the victory over Satan and sin. The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, suffered and died on the cross for our sins. “Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world.” Galatians 1:3,43Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:3‑4).
Robby was too little to understand that Jesus had died on the cross for him and that he could give his problem of sin and temptation to the Lord Jesus to handle. But if you are old enough to read this story, you are old enough to understand that you are a sinner and need to accept for yourself the victory the Lord Jesus won on the cross. He will wash away your sins in His blood so that you may be included in His victory over sin and Satan.
He invites you to come to Him right now. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden [struggling with your sins], and I will give you rest [victory].” Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). If you have already come to Him, you can say this verse and really mean it: “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:5757But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57).
ML-10/20/1991