Bend-A-Knee 02/12/2026

     If you watch TV at all or drive a car one thing becomes overtly obvious. Restaurants are masterful at advertising. A commercial on TV or a billboard along the road entices consumers toward a purchase. The food depicted is mouthwatering even if you are not hungry. I’ve wondered why a Big Mac purchased at a McDonalds restaurant never remotely resembles the absolutely enticing hamburger depicted on a commercial or a billboard. It is obvious that extreme care is taken by the advertising company when they prepare a TV or billboard ad. Even the menus at a restaurant depict food that you can order but will never be served looking as enticing as on the menu. The advertisers are so masterful at their craft that even without words on a TV commercial they can portray cereal as a gourmet meal. You never see a disclaimer that the food displayed in their ad or menu will never be presented to you as enticing as depicted.

     As consumers we are fully aware of the difference between the carefully crafted food in the ad and the stark difference in the actual product purchased. We may joke about the difference but it doesn’t stop us from continuing to buy more food at the restaurant even if it doesn’t match the advertised appearance. Our disappointment doesn’t interfere with our continual support of a restaurant or product.

     Satan is a masterful deceiver and the Apostle John records Jesus’ words in regard to Satan as “the father of lies.” Satan is crafty and presents his temptations in such an enticing fashion that we fall easily into his trap. We may not be sure that what is being presented through Satan’s temptation will actually playout favorably for us but we convince ourselves that we should follow Satan’s path. The disappointment following Satan’s enticement doesn’t prevent us from following the same pathway again. The reality never matches the lure in the long run but the temporary euphoria is enough until reality sets in and the enticement of Satan comes crashing down suffocating us in the fallout.

     Today as you consider pausing at noon to Bend-A-Knee in prayer may you seek God’s discernment to see beyond the temptation of Satan and ask for the courage necessary to stand strong against his lure. Don’t let the visual or sensual enticement draw you into Satan’s web of deception and lies. As soon as you recognize Satan’s trickery, run and flee without looking back. Nothing good will ever be as presented by Satan. His enticement is far worse than eating a less than desirable Big Mac hamburger.      

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God’s Peace

Pastor Mike