Camp Devotions, Part 3

Overcoming Temptation
Jared Altic


Eagles in the wild catch fish in an interesting way. They soar high above and with their excellent eyesight spot the fish far below. Then they fold their wings back and dive, aiming directly at the water, reaching speeds of over 100mph. Then at the last second they spread their wings, extend their talons, and grab the fish. The eagle then takes its catch back to shore.

But Wayne Rice tells the story of an eagle being filmed by National Geographic. This eagle underestimated the size of the fish. When the bird tried to lift its catch out of the water, it found the fish to be too heavy. It strained and struggled but couldn’t fly the huge fish to shore… but it couldn’t let go of it either! The eagle’s talons were too deeply embedded into the fish, trapping the poor bird.

The eagle hit the water, sank below the surface, and drowned. It just couldn’t let go.

Several places in the Bible tell us “no.” Not because God doesn’t want us to have fun, but because He doesn’t want us to become trapped.

Read Proverbs 6:27, Romans 12:21, 2Timothy 2:22

Think of some common temptations this world offers. Which traps are you especially drawn to?

Read James 1:13-16. Where does temptation usually come from and to where does it lead?