“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:17

Rats!!!! They’re BAAAACK! And this time, they aren’t just passing through! THIS time, they have overstepped their bounds by eating holes in the screen of my pool cage! So I’ve been a little more serious about their ir’rat’ication. Hollering out warnings into the dark at hidden rodents to ‘stay away or else’ hasn’t worked. So the process of ridding myself of these pests has become more serious.

Upon discovering the first evidence of their return, I thought it humorous. Having celebrated the victorious catching of all the evil interlopers in the past, I was looking forward to a swift reprise. Digging out the old weapons, I loaded them up. Then again… and yet again! NOTHIN’! THESE rats were SMART! Taking the bait without setting off the trap made it clear! This was no game!

Determined and needing more wisdom, I went online to research and sought advice from other victims of wise rats. One friend told me to sprinkle cayenne pepper all around the outside of my house. “They’ll HATE the smell… I mean would YOU sniff around with that stuff going up your nose?” “Good point,” I reasoned! Tried it… Nada! It appears cayenne pepper is rat cocaine!

Having upped my game I have caught 5 PLUS so far. The plus was rather unfortunate because it turned out to be a squirrel! In all my years of trapping rats, I have never caught a squirrel! It was a traumatic first for me. Seeing the big bushy tail made my eyes bulge and a thought appeared. ‘WHY ON EARTH would a smart squirrel stick its nose into a trap set for a rat?’ Today’s verse baited me.

I, like all living creatures, was born with instincts. But being human, I have even HIGHER instincts than animals, having God’s image stamped on my soul. I instinctively KNOW that God exists, what lying, murder and theft are, and that there IS judgment awaiting me because of that knowledge. So WHY would I go sniffing around in areas I KNOW can only hurt or kill me forever? Hmmmm!

The Bible says my ‘flesh’ is evil. It CAN’T be caught, trained, improved, cleaned up or made respectable. It is, and always will be, ‘The Tombstone’ around my neck, ‘until death do us part!’ I know God is trying to tell me something by the squirrel. I am a child of God by Faith in Christ Jesus. I am to RATify that truth by avoiding fleshy bait, following Him and feeding on His Word daily!

So… what’s that around your nose and where have YOU been sniffing around???