" . . . nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile." 2 Corinthians 12:16
When Mrs. came to me for treatment of a very exciting and exceedingly rare illness, I prescribed a placebo. Do you know what a "placebo"is? You probably have taken some and they helped you. But if you had known it was a placebo you would have been very angry at your doctor. So the doctor didn't tell you what he was giving you. But we must get back to Mrs. . She enjoyed very poor health. She was never so miserable as when she couldn't find anything wrong with herself. One day she read about a sickness she had never had. She liked it and promptly developed all the symptoms: headache, nausea, constipation, palpitation of the heart, blurring eyes, etc., etc., etc., and she called me to come immediately as she thought she was dying. Upon examination I found nothing wrong with her. She was as healthy as a carp in muddy water. What do to for her? That was the problem. If I told her shew as not sick she would have been furious and discharged me for another doctor. So I told her she was very ill (she was-in her head), but I would soon relieve her. So I gave her a placebo - a whole box full of pretty pink pills - made of sugar - nothing but a few grains of milk sugar. Take one every 15 minutes (keep her so busy taking pills she would forget her illness). The recovery was spectacular. Did I deceive her? Yes, but it cured her. That is the doctor's business - to cure people - and if sugar does it - why not?
Paul says he had taken the Corinthians by "craft" and "guile." The word guile is dolos, and means "bait." He had baited his hook to catch them for Jesus. His conduct and love for them had won them for Jesus.
Is your gospel hook "baited" for those you will meet on life's ocean? Will you attract any souls to Christ today? Or will you be "baited", "caught", hook, line, and sinker, by satan and his deceptions of "happiness"?
"Bread For Each Day"
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