So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Driving to a meeting on a December day, I found myself clutching the steering wheel, trying to bring my skidding car under control. Impulsively braking, I threw the car into a spin. I avoided injury and damage, but my car was stranded in the ditch. I had encountered black ice.

Black ice is dangerous because we approach it unsuspectingly. Unlike the glaring, silvery ice that warns us to slow down and be cautious, black ice looks like only wet pavement.

Sometimes temptation is like black ice. We may find ourselves in what looks like a harmless situation, suddenly spinning out of control. When we are unprepared, these temptations can strand us, throw us off course, and even destroy us. We walk carefully around the obvious temptations because we know their danger. We are more likely to slip on small temptations like skipping our prayer time or Bible study. When our fellowship with God is weak, we risk losing traction and skidding into a spiritual ditch. But when we remain alert to God through continual fellowship, we walk on safe ground.

Most Holy God, help us a we maneuver through this world to be alert to the “black ice” that surrounds us in temptations! Keep us on a safe path!