What Lies Beneath

The other day I decided to be "Mr. Gardner" and check our garden for crops. I got ready and headed out to the garden before it got really hot. I collected the okra from our plants and then moved over to the fruit section.

Our landlord had given us some seed for our garden that would give us cantaloupe and watermelon. I am and have always been a big fan of watermelon. The thought that I would have some right here at my doorstep and not having to go get one thrilled my soul. Something happened this day that threatened my love for watermelon though. What could possibly come between a man and his watermelon?



That's right. As I turned a watermelon over to check it out, I found one of these beauties waiting on the underside of the watermelon. Luckily, I wasn't bit and was able to get rid of the spider and save the watermelon. I realize that the story could be very different. It could have been really bad and all because I wanted a watermelon.

As I thought about this event, I was reminded of a similar situation that took place in Genesis 4. Cain had a conversation with God. He was told to be on alert because "sin was crouching at the door" and "it's desire is for you." Cain chose not to heed the words of God and ended up being devoured by the sin that crouched at his door. That crouching sin caused Cain to take the life of his brother. It caused him to be cast out and live as a wanderer with a curse on him.

I was reminded through my experience with the watermelon and the widow of a couple of things:

Always be on guard. There is sin that is crouching at the door of each of our lives. It usually will attack when you least expect it.

That sin might be attached to something good or look really appealing. The thing that had the potential of doing me the greatest harm was on the underside of something I desired greatly.

We have victory over what lies beneath. Jesus Christ has given us victory over whatever it is that crouches at our door and seeks to destroy us. We need to depend on Him and let Him fight our battles.