Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold

(Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV).

Some years ago, my husband was in a hurry. After a series of delays, he jumped into his car, started the engine, and started backing out of the garage. A loud, grinding noise alerted him that he had forgotten to close his car door!   

I’m sure there are many lessons that one could learn from this incident, but the one that we were reminded of was the damage that can occur when we as Christians have open doors in our lives. Those open doors might be dabbling in any kind of secret sin such as sexual fantasizing, using pornography, reading horoscopes, or less private sins such as losing our temper or having an affair. You may be sure that our enemy, Satan, is always on the lookout for any foothold he can find.

When a Christian is overcome by sin, it is nearly always because there was an open door in some area of his life. Asking God to bring us to godly sorrow and repentance is the first step to closing the doors before irreparable damage is done.

Holy Spirit, convict and convince us of our sin and bring us to godly repentance. Amen.

(Devotional adapted from Homespun Faith, Reflections from the Seasons of Life, copyright 2014 Daisy Beiler Townsend. Available as paperback or e-book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Xulon Press. There are Links on this website on the Where to Buy Homespun Faith and Sarah’s Legacy page. Locally at Fresh Grounds, M & M Grocery, Penn Alps in Grantsville, Maryland, or from me 724-373-8445.)