I had seen many different animals dead on the side of the road—skunks, possums, raccoons, deer, armadillos—but never an alligator! I was on the on-ramp to an expressway, and there it was: a dead alligator on the side of the road, lying on his back! Yes, I do live in Florida, so it is conceivable that an alligator could be on the side of the road, but I think it is rare. To be honest, in all the years I have lived in Florida, this was the one and only dead alligator on the side of the road I have ever seen. Not only was I surprised that day, but I was also tempted.

I was tempted to stop and to take a picture! All the family back home would love a picture. It was at that time that a heard a voice from within say, “Is he really dead? Can alligators play possum?” I was tempted get a stick and poke him to make sure he was dead! But it was like another voice within was sending me a warning. I had a battle going on in my mind: should I stop or not? Is he really dead or simply playing possum? In the end, I decided not to give into the temptation to stop and continued to drive on by.

Have you ever been tempted? Maybe the clerk at the grocery store gave you an extra $20 in your change by mistake. Maybe you were late for a meeting due to your own fault, but you could tell a little white lie and blame the traffic. Or, on a more serious note, maybe the lure of one more drink—or one more whatever—is getting a hold of you. It wouldn’t hurt anything.

Did you hear a warning from within? What did you do? Did you ignore the warning and give into the temptation? Or did you heed the warning you hear and fight off the temptation? When the battle within our mind begins, how do we fight it off? We go to the Word! We go to prayer!

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourself. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the prefect law and gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22–24

So today, I pray that you listen to your inner voice when faced with temptation so you can do what the Word says and be blessed by our Father for following Him.

Lord, we ask You to make that voice within us that wants to do the right thing very loud, and we ask You to make the voice of temptation very quiet. We give all glory to You, Father, for keeping us and all those we love safe.

Have a Safe Day.