Once upon a time . . .
There was a man, a dog, and a bone.
The man was training his dog to be obedient, to learn the meaning of the word “no.”
So the man would take a bone, or a doggie treat, and he put the treat in the middle of the floor next to the dog, look the dog right in the eye, and say “no.”
The first time, the dog saw the doggie treat, didn’t even think twice about it, grabbed the treat, and ate it in one gulp. The master came over and gave his dog a loving smack.
Then the master got out another treat and did the same thing. He put the treat in the middle of the floor, next to the dog, and once again said “no.”
The dog did the same thing – saw the treat, went right for it, and swallowed it down, resulting in another loving smack.
So the master does it a third time – takes out a treat, puts it in the middle of the floor, and says “no.” This time, the dog doesn’t take the treat. Instead, you know what the dog does? The dog never looks at the treat. While his master was putting the treat on the floor, the dog never for a moment took his eyes off his master. The dog knew that if he looked at that treat, he would never be able to resist the temptation, so he maintained a steadfast gaze into the eyes of his master. And this time, the dog did not go for the treat.
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Temptation is something we all have to deal with.
What temptation have you been facing lately? What is your bone? What is your doggie treat?
Maybe it’s alcohol. Or nicotine. Or chocolate.
Maybe it’s pornography. Or adultery. Or the lust that resides in our hearts.
Maybe it’s anger. Or resentment. Or bitterness. Or jealousy. Or discontentment.
We all have something. 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13). What temptation seizes or overtakes you?
More importantly, what are you doing about it? What are you doing to resist temptation? How are you doing in your battle against sin?
The purpose of this post is to share the good news that there is hope in the struggle against sin’s grip on us. Regardless of the temptation you are struggling with, the Bible offers hope: The Word of God promises victory in the battle against temptation, and the key to that victory is found in the story about A Man, A Dog, and A Bone.
When did the dog stop going for the bone? When he started looking into the eyes of his master.
The Bible teaches us that the only way to experience victory over temptation is a steadfast gaze into the face of our Master, the God-Man, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Yes, sin can “cling so closely” to us, can’t it? What do we do to lay it aside and get rid of it?
We look to Jesus!
But what does that mean?
Other translations help unpack the meaning of the word “look” –
“fixing our eyes on Jesus” (NIV)
“keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus (NET)
“looking only at Jesus” (NASB)
How do you resist temptation by looking only at Jesus?
What do you do to keep your eyes fixed on Him?
Let me know by leaving a comment below.
- A Simple Way to Read the Bible - July 6, 2026
- A Man, A Dog, A Bone, and the Bible - June 28, 2026
- The Purpose of Hearing the Word - June 21, 2026
