“Whereforever, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” I Cor. 10:12-14
Today’s Christian Daily Devotional
I have heard friends say they don’t want to worship or acknowledge God because they believe He is a cruel God. How can God know their weaknesses, and still allow them to be surrounded with a surplus of temptations? It is true that the world has many tempting traps to lead us off the path of good choices onto the path of: “good for now”; but in God’s defense, I believe that is a cheap cop-out.
At the end of the day, we all have to grow up and take responsibility for our choices (good or bad). If God says in His word, that He will never allow you to be tempted in a way He won’t help you through, there is a way through it. (Notice that the word “easy” is not in 1 Cor. 10:12-14.) God’s way is never easy. As my mom (and your’s, I am sure!) said, “Nothing good ever is!” Temptations and sin are actually a blessing in disguise. They give us a clue to our own wicked desires and weaknesses. By giving God control over those things, we can also learn how to fight for the good that He wants to develop through us.
I think of it like this: I want a fit body. As I look around me, I see that fit bodies don’t just “happen”. To get good results, I must eat right and work hard in the gym. Then, after doing this consistently over time, I can watch my body change and progress into something better. The process is never easy, and most of the time it is not fun. But, through my persistence, the rewards will come.
If we give up on doing things God’s way, just because it is hard, (or just because we do not see results right away) we stunt our own growth—in our relationship with God Himself and in our development of character. You know how bad you can be. Aren’t you interested to see how good God can make you? Changes won’t happen by just sitting on the couch; it is going to take some “ouch” on your part!
“Dear Heavenly Father,
I realize that I have been blaming you for being a cruel God by even allowing temptations to exist. When I get really honest with myself, I see that the truth of the matter is: I am lazy. I want to get blessed, but I want it to come easy. And although you are not a God that rewards His children for “doing good deeds”, you are not a God that rewards sheer apathy. I understand now that you are a God who is just waiting and wanting to bless me, but because of my attitude I am stopping that from happening. I need to partner with you and ask you to help me through my temptations. I need to quit making the excuses that I am too old to change, this is the way I learned it in my home, or that everybody else is doing it, so it must be alright. I am dedicating myself to be honest with me and honest with you. As you reveal my heart to me, help me to be able to overcome the obstacles that have stopped me in my past. This is not going to happen any longer, not on my watch. Help me keep my eyes peeled for the traps that satan has set up to trip me up. I know I can do this, because I am willing to take the help you have offered me this time. In Jesus’ precious name, thank you for helping me through this, Amen.”
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