A FORK IN THE ROAD
Several artists were asked to illustrate their concepts of temptation. When their paintings were unveiled, some of them depicted man's attempt to achieve fame and fortune at any cost. Others pictured mankind’s struggle against the alluring desires of the flesh.
The prize-winning canvas, however, was quite different. It portrayed a quiet country lane with a man walking among inviting shade trees and lovely wild flowers. In the distance the way divided into two roads, the one leading to the right, the other to the left. The road that veered to the left seemed almost as inviting as the one that kept to the right. But if the traveler chose to take it, he would soon become mired in the mud. The artist was conveying the thought that sin's allurements are extremely subtle. They present themselves as an innocent looking fork in the road.
The "path of the wicked" may seem harmless at first, and we tell ourselves that we would never fall into gross sin. But that's just the kind of thinking that can divert us from the path of righteousness. A good traffic rule on the road of life: When you meet temptation stay right.
(From a sermon by Dennis Davidson, Watch Your Step, 8/25/2011)