Danger Zone

This time it was Hunter's turn to catch a mouse. I heard some odd noises in the back of the house where the bedrooms are. Something in the back of my mind was stirred and I almost took a look, but just then I heard my husband leaving in his truck to take the dogs training, so I thought he must have been the source of the strange sounds.

Not so.

 

Very, very shortly after the truck left, I saw Hunter coming into the dining room where I was working on my Precept's Bible study. He had a gray skinny tail hanging from his mouth. I could tell immediately by his attitude, not just the skinny tail, that this was a real mouse, not one of the toys he has all over the house.

 

I made many failed attempts to get the mouse from him. He'd drop it to play with it, but he'd pick it up as I reached down—and mumble growl at me! I attempted carrying both him and the mouse outside, but he'd drop it after I took a few steps—it's difficult to hold a mouse, mumble growl, and breathe. So I'd drop him to get it, but he was always quicker than me and would retrieve the tiny thing. We kept repeating this until, finally, he made a "toy mouse" mistake. He put the mouse in my shoe (yuck!), but that made it easy for me to "capture" the mouse and remove it from the house. I am so thankful we play the "hide the toy mouse in the shoe" game.

 

 

Poor little mouse.

 

Warmth and the possibility of food put it in the three, no, now four cat danger zone.

 

Interesting timing, though.

 

My Precepts lesson is on Genesis 3 this week—sin and temptation. Poor mouse gave into temptation. As James wrote, desire conceived gives birth to sin which when it is full-grown brings death. (James 1:15) Best to nip sin in the bud before it can grow. Or, even better, don't put yourself in the danger zone.

 

But, when sin is birthed, the best thing to do is quickly confess it and be cleansed. Toss it out of your house!

 

The Moms in Prayer International Booklet has some excellent advice as to how to confess our sin when we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, something we make a part of our weekly prayer meetings.

 

1. Name the sin specifically, agreeing with God that it is sin.
2. Repent concerning the sin. This will result in changed attitudes and actions.
3. Thank God that He has forgiven your sin because of what Christ did on the cross.
4. Ask to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Surrender your will and make a total commitment to God.
5. By faith, thank Him that He has filled you on the basis of His promise. Do not depend on your feelings. The promise of God's Word, not our feelings, is our authority.

As 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

 

The cleansing of confession is vital for intercessors—those who pray on behalf of others. God's Word tells us that our sins make a separation between us and the Lord, that our sins have hidden His face from us, so that He will not hear our prayers. (Isaiah 59:2)

 

So, if we find ourselves in the danger zone, we can be rescued out of it through confession and repentance—turning around and fleeing as fast as we can.

 

For creature lovers (like me), it does appear the little mouse was rescued in time—this time. It fled immediately upon coming to itself after I put it outside. Hopefully, it won't again enter the danger zone.

 

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD."

And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:5 NIV