Last night my wife and I were having our usual time with our cockatiels. They are a lot of fun and have very amusing little personalities.
On the table, where we let them walk around, we have this small food dish. Tiggy, my wife's bird, noticed I cleaned the dish out but gave me a "look" when she saw I did not fill it.
I decided to fill the bowl, but then took about four pumpkin seeds and placed them in a little trail, one after the other leading up to the last one I placed in the dish. Predictably Tiggy followed the trail, she ate one, then the next, then the next right up to the last.
If I simply tried to take hold of her and place here in the bowl, it would have never worked. She would have protested right away.
Knowing what she wanted and predicting her behavior, I simply had to wait until she arrived where I knew she eventually would.
That is also how Satan works with our sin nature. He knows what little trail he can place in front of us, and how each nibble can lead us right to where he wants us to go. Unlike Tiggy's experience, this can end in disaster.
"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15 (NIV)
It's best to be prepared, recognize the trail and avoid it all together.
