Nope. Today’s devotional doesn’t have anything to do with the book or the movie of the same name. What it does deal with, however is the spirit of temptation and an encounter I had with a mysterious, young woman at the airport. So what exactly does temptation mean? I’m glad you asked! Temptation is defined as the act of tempting; enticement or allurement. It can also be said that temptation is the fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil. This was the case with my encounter at the airport.
A couple of years back, I was asked to pick up a family member from the airport. I arrived a few minutes early and decided to wait by the curb just outside the main entrance. It was a very busy place filled with an array of people coming and going, passing to and fro with their baggage, children and pets. Baggage handlers were busy tagging luggage and a parade of yellow taxi cabs patrolled by me incessantly. I enjoyed watching the travelers as they made their way inside and tried to imagine where their destinations might be. I’m sure they all had their own unique story, but it was one couple in particular that grabbed my attention.
They parked their red convertible under the canopy and made their way to the front door. As they approached, I found myself staring at them. They complimented each other so well they looked like two halves of the same person. They smiled and laughed as they neared the entrance. The gentleman was well dressed in a business suit and appeared to be fairly physically fit. The streaks of salt and pepper in his hair were the only indication that he may be a man in his late thirties or early forties. He walked with an air of confidence and a had a casual type of swagger that led you to believe he didn’t have a trouble in the world. The woman he was escorting was an exotic looking young lady with mocha colored skin and green eyes. Her black, silky hair glistened like ravens feathers under the lights of the canopy. She held his arm tightly and giggled as he whispered something into her ear. She wore a fitted red dress that was cut intentionally too short with a split on the side that was cut deliberately too high. It’s silky texture was very revealing and left little to the imagination. She wore a gold chain link belt that slinked around the curves of her hips that jingled with every step. The only thing keeping it fastened in place around her thin wasteline was a gold, inverted Prada pyramid. I had a difficult time keeping my eyes off her. She was beautiful. I mean reallybeautiful! I became a little embarrassed when she noticed me stealing glances at her from a distance as she walked by, but she just smiled and continued on her way. The couple exchanged goodbyes and a passionate kiss on the lips that would make a sailor blush. As I tried to redirect my attention elsewhere, I couldn’t help but think; “WOW! What a lucky guy! He has it all! The car, the wife, the look….It must be REALLY NICE to jet-set around the world and leave someone like her in charge of your affairs while away on business”.
The young lady exited the glass double doors and began sashaying back to the convertible. I could hear her clomping around in her strappy, high heels long before I actually saw her. To my surprise, the sound appeared to be coming toward me and not past. As I turned around, I saw her take off a ring from her left hand and carelessly drop it into the Prada handbag she had slung across her shoulder. She grabbed my tie and pulled herself so close to me that I could easily smell the sweet, flowery scent of her perfume wafted by the gentle breeze under the canopy.
“Hi, Tiger” she said, still caressing my tie. “I’m Rachael” I of course knew this already because I had been eyeballing the gold nameplate neatly tucked in the cleave of her bosom (yes, I was looking at her cleavage 
). “How would you like a pretty lady to treat you to dinner?”
). “How would you like a pretty lady to treat you to dinner?”
“Who, me?” I stuttered.
“No, silly. The other tiger behind you.” She grinned and grabbed me by the chin to stop me from turning around when she realized I was too naive to understand she was being facetious. “So what will it be?”
As a child, I grew up watching Tom and Jerry cartoons. I think Tom and Jerry must have been the original “Frienemies”. As much as they despised each other, occasionally they would find themselves in a situation where they had the opportunity to help one another. But because of their fierce rivalry, they would sometimes suffer from a divided conscience that manifested itself into two separate figures. You remember this cartoon, don’t you? One half of their conscience would have horns, a tail and a pitchfork that would represent the “bad” side. The other half would be dressed in white and would often have angels wings and a halo floating above his head. This was the “good” side. I strangely felt my own psyche divided in the same way. On one shoulder I had “The Sinner” prodding and provoking me to entertain my lustful desires. On the other shoulder, I had ”The Saint” that was desperately trying to get me to run away.
The Sinner perched atop my left shoulder was saying “Dude! Why not??? You’re recently divorced and you haven’t let yourself relax in a long time. You deserve it!”
The Saint, on the other hand, had a totally different attitude regarding the situation. He kept reminding me of scripture. “Jason, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Sinner in me wouldn’t be defeated so easily and retaliated. “When was the last time anyone and I mean anyone ever showed you this much attention? Do you really think you’ll have this opportunity again? Take a chance. What could it hurt?”
The Saint was again prepared with more scripture. “She’s marriedJason. Need I remind you that you’re in ministry school? What does the Bible say in Proverbs 6 about adultery?” He was right. If you look in the Bible, the Book of Proverbs has a lot to say about adultery.
23 “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life, 24 keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. 25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, 26 for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? 29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 Men do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. 31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. 32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. 33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never be wiped away; 34 for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. 35 He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.” Proverbs 6:23-35 NIV
to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. 31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. 32 But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. 33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,
and his shame will never be wiped away; 34 for jealousy arouses a husband’s fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. 35 He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse the bribe, however great it is.” Proverbs 6:23-35 NIV
I then remembered what I read in Proverbs 5;
1 “My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight,2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. 7 Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. 8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, 10 lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man’s house. 11 At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. 12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! 13 I would not obey my teachers or listen to my instructors.14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.” 15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. 16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? 17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. 18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. 20 Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife? 21 For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. 22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. 23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.” Proverbs 5:1-23 NIV
The Sinner still had a little fight in him and decided to use a few scriptures of his own (Yes, the devil knows scripture. Just look at Luke 4:9-13). “But won’t God forgive you of your sins, Jason? Doesn’t the Bible say in Acts 13:38 ‘Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.’ He loves you, doesn’t He? Why would He punish you for making a mistake?”
“Yes, Jason.” The Saint replied, “The Bible does say that. But it also says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 ‘No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it’. Besides, Jason. He’s GOD! Don’t you think he knows the desires of your heart and the sincerity of your repentance? Do you really think you can ‘trick’ Him into believing you are actually sorry for your sins when you are not? And if this is the very best that Satan has to offer you, can you only imagine what God has in store for you?”
The Saint had a good point. God does know my heart and if I were to compromise and embrace this sin, than I would be willingly attempting to take advantage of God’s grace. My attention returned to the young lady in front of me.
“So what will it be, Tiger? Dinner on me?”
I slowly shook my head no. “That’s a very tempting offer, but I think I’ll pass.” and without another word she shrugged her shoulders and walked away. I began thinking of another scripture I had recently read.
7″Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NIV
I can’t lie to you. I don’t always pass the testing of my flesh with flying colors. I actually fall on my face a lot. In fact, part of me wondered what would have happened if I had given in to my temptations. But as I left the airport, I saw Rachael getting into her convertible with another young man. It appeared she had found someone else to “have dinner with”. Or maybe she was having him for dinner. Either way, no good thing could have come from indulging in her company.
Temptation can come in many forms. It doesn’t have to be sex, drugs, or alcohol. It could be gossip, lies, and covetness. They’re all sin. Maybe your “Rachael” isn’t a female, but a male. Maybe your temptation isn’t with sex, but with money. Remember what the Bible says In James 4:7 “….Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”.
When I made it home, I began wondering about two things. 1: What would have been my response if I had not known the scriptures from the Bible? And 2: I wondered about her husband. WOW! What an unlucky guy! He had it all! The car, the wife, the look…. How TERRIBLE it must be to have to jet-set around the world and leave someone like her in charge of your affairs while away on business. Perception can sometimes be a distorted reality. Be Blessed, My Friends. Be an Overcomer!
Bro. Jason Z. Hunt
Memory Verse 1: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NIV
Memory Verse 2: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NIV
Memory Word: Temptation: the act of tempting; enticement or allurement. The fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.
Inspiring music: “Grey” by Barlow Girl, “Whispers in the Dark” by Skillet, and “War” by Tedashii
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