Ready to dive into chapter 11 of The Bridge from OneDayBow? Have you read it yet? If not, the Excerpt on the onedaybow.com website contains Part One and Two of The Bridge from OneDayBow, and you can read it for free!

Now back to the book… Chapter 11 of The Bridge from OneDayBow begins with Tim excited and optimistic, but a little unprepared for what’s ahead. Tim was warned (in Chapter 10) to expect “tempters up ahead” and to get ready by knowing what’s written in the King’s Book. I think Tim should have spent less time sleeping and more time preparing, but I don’t want to forget “battling the tempters” is never fun or easy!

Not to get ahead of myself, or maybe go backwards… but Ephesians 6:13 (quoted on the lead page of Part Two) states, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.” Sure, Tim hasn’t yet taken stock of all the great equipment provided by the King, but keeping the Truth-belt on tight is warfare 101!

As Tim encounters the tempter, he must have looked ordinary. He didn’t introduce himself as a tempter, in fact he said he was a friend! He holds out one huge bobble – that coincidentally looks like a globe of the world – and implies that there is something more that Tim should want, and that others will need as proof. The tempter’s exact words aren’t as important as what he’s implying:

The King is Not BIG Enough to satisfy Tim’s desires

The King is Not BIG Enough to convince others

So, let’s think about this: even though Tim had crossed the Bridge and was a citizen of the Kingdom, who is to say that he can’t have it all? The world and the King??? (Maybe you’ve heard that yourself) Thankfully, Tim quickly saw through that one! He identifies the “foe” and takes a stand as a child of the King. (Go Tim!) But then he stalls on the second part of the deceit: What about all those people in HereAndNow who haven’t yet met the King?

Would some bobbles be a way for Tim to get his foot in the door with people in HereAndNow? Maybe they’d be willing to listen to him if he looked like them, acted the same way, and collected bobbles like everybody else. Maybe he could just play at playing the game. Whatever works, right? Do you notice the Truth-belt beginning to slip?

This would have been a good time for Tim to stop and read the Book! Or, at the very least, to remember some of the things he had learned before he even crossed the Bridge!

The tempter at the fair told him:

It’s all about the bobbles – even if it’s untrue

The pamphlet Emma gave him clearly stated what was common knowledge:

The tempters are deceitful, and we all know that’s true

Before he even met the King, Tim knew the bobble game was one great waste, and he was sure there was more to life than bobbles – something worth living for.

And by the way; when the tempter said that he was mentioned inside of the King’s Book, Tim should have asked him in what capacity. Not good, you can be sure of that!

Somehow, in some way, the lie of the tempter had an element of believability – maybe “common” sense – but don’t miss that the bait he offered Tim was really an assault on the character of the King.  To believe the lie of the tempter was to disbelieve the King.

Christian friend, do you know the Bible says that friendship with the world is enmity with God? (see James 4:4) Jesus didn’t die to save us for eternity only to have us live like nothing has ever changed. The Good News of salvation doesn’t need a bobble boost! Tim’s temptation only mirrors the deception we face daily. Sadly, we can get tripped on the first lie that appeals to our human nature and “want to have the world.” The second lie puts our focus on others, but in a wrong way. Fitting in, in the here and now, isn’t going to help anyone – not even here and now. This world is not going to last forever, and people need to know that. Read the Book! Tighten up the Truth-belt! Resist the lies of the enemy! Spiritual warfare is real, and the stakes are high. Stand firm against the lie that God is Not BIG Enough.