The Sticky Pad

Several years ago, we had a lizard in the house. It invited itself in through the back door and decided to lodge with us. While I am appreciative of all of God's creation, knowing He has a purpose for every creature, I do not want uninvited creatures "glorifying God" in my house! If you have ever had a lizard in the house, you know that they are impossible to catch.  Lizards are very fast and they are creative in their hiding. One day, the lizard hid himself in a crack in the mortar of the fireplace with only its tail visible. I guess he thought if he couldn't see us, we couldn't see him! To catch the lizard, I thought I would be smart and use a"sticky pad", one of those little contraptions made to catch mice. My idea was that the lizard would scamper across the pad, stick to it and then I would remove it and release the critter outside. I envisioned a "catch and release" scenario. As you can guess, it didn't quite go as planned. As I was sitting in our den one day, our dog "Little Ann", came limping into the room. One of her paws was stuck on the sticky pad. She looked quite powerless, dumbfounded, helpless and pitiful and in need of rescue. Quickly!
Often, I find myself like Little Ann, stuck, dumbfounded, helpless, and pitiful. But it's not a sticky pad that's causing my problem. It's the sin in my life. I try really hard not to sin, but often I just step right on that old sin nature, sticking to it, powerless to do anything in my own strength to get rid of it. I need to be rescued. Quickly! I am absolutely pitiful and helpless in my own state. Thankfully, God gave me a way out and I don't have to do it on my own. In fact, I can't do it on my own. He sent His Son Jesus to the rescue. I love reading Romans 8: 1-17. It reminds me of the grace and power available to me because of God's Son Jesus and through the Holy Spirit. I don't have to stay stuck to sin. When I trusted in Jesus, I received the gift of the Holy Spirit who lives in me. The Spirit directs my life and makes it possible, with His power, for me to resist the stickiness of sin. Sticky sin leads to thoughts and actions that are displeasing to God. Being led by the Spirit leads to life and peace and actions that are pleasing to God.  The same power that raised Christ from the grave is available to me. The grave could not hold Christ, the sticky pad of sin and death cannot hold me. When I get stuck on the sticky pad of sin, grace forgives and releases me. I was able to peel the sticky pad off of Little Ann's paw, Christ's sacrifice on the cross makes the sin peel right off me. I am no longer stuck, dumbfounded, helpless and pitiful! I have been rescued!

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1,2

Postscript -  Little Ann was not harmed by the sticky pad. It peeled off her paw without pain. Out new puppy, Izzie, recently met a lizard and I am proud to announce she "took care of it". It did reappear a short time later and Izzie felt better.