Crouching and Prowling – Lack of Self-Control and Temper Tantrums

We have a new puppy at our house. We say she’s a Heelie – a heeler and border collie mix. She’s getting bigger and bigger by the day. My lap isn’t nearly as big as it used to be. My fear is when she gets too big for my lap, she’ll still insist that she is still a lap dog. Sunni loves to play. She will chase her tail in circles till she quite literally cannot stand up. Hilarious! She also loves hiding under the furniture. She has gotten too big to go under some furniture. Our sofa, however, is a different story. She has figured out if she runs and then slides under the sofa flat as a pancake that she can fit. Hysterical! But one of the funniest sights is to watch her leap and jump. She gets too excited sometimes, and she still has her puppy fat, so she will crouch down right before she bounds for your feet, your skirt or off the front porch. When she bounds off the front porch, her hiney goes higher than her head, and it’s just funny how it looks.

This morning as I was getting ready and trying to get my kids ready for school, a verse was put on my mind and heart, and I couldn’t wait to get to the Word to study it. It’s one I had read recently in my study on Eve, but God was sending me back. Apparently, I hadn’t spent adequate amount of time meditating on it.

Genesis 4:7, “…But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it”(HCSB).

I’m sure none of you have this issue at your house, but we often times have the issue of lacking self-control. This could be the reason God wanted me to revisit this issue, so I can teach my children…or maybe it’s for me.

“Sin is crouching at your door.” Here’s the thing about crouching, it’s the preparation of an even greater exertion. Crouching makes one look smaller than it really is, and the energy stored by crouching is exerted when you least expect it – kinda like a Jack in the box toy. You know it’s in there. You know if you wind it long enough, sooner or later Jack will jump out at you and make you jump out of your skin.

Sin is crouching at your door. That phrase also brings to mind another verse, 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and e firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.” Sin is from the Devil – not rocket science there, is it? But the Bible equips us in how to handle the crouching, prowling lion, and we know with Christ we can overcome. As a matter of fact the rest of the verse in Genesis gives us this hope, “Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Does that part sound familiar to you? It should. God told Eve she would desire her husband, but he would rule over her.

You must rule over it. Rule over our fleshly desires – food, lust, ego, pride, lack of self-control. To rule over our fleshly desires, we have to put on the full armor of God every day.

In contrast to crouching, God takes a different position at the door, doesn’t He? Revelations 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” No surprise. No “aha, I gotcha.” He simply stands at the door of your life, your heart, your mind, your soul and He knocks. If you open the door and let Him into your life, your heart, your mind, your soul, then He graciously accepts. He comes in filling up every part of you, if you allow Him. He heals the broken places no one sees. He restores. He soothes. He calms. Then He shows you how to overcome.

John 10:10 says, “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy” (sounds like the crouching, prowling lion). “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

Hillsong has written a song, “This is How We Overcome.” These are the words:

Your light broke through my night

Restored exceeding joy

Your grace fell like the rain

And made this desert live

Your hand lifted me up

I stand on higher ground

Your praise rose in my heart

And made this valley sing

This is how we overcome

This is how we overcome.

How do we overcome Satan who is crouching by our door ready and waiting to knock us off balance so we relapse and regress to our sinful condition and habits? We invite the God who stands at the door and knocks. We give Him full range to do His will in our lives, and we submit our wills and follow knowing He has His best in mind for us which is better than anything we could ever dream of. Be an over-comer today. Live victoriously.