Verse of the Day 12/3
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
When I've read this verse before, over the years, I always thought of it in terms of temptation to sins pertaining to stealing, lying, drinking or any number of physical actions. It can definitely be applied to these sins but I don't think it stops there. What about doubt, lack of faith and hope, or running from God in trying circumstances?
When we face those things, we look for a way of escape. All too often in seeking that way of escape we may be more like Jonah, trying to run away from God. It is in that action that we may also be tempted to drink, use drugs or any other means of temporary escape from the situation at hand. The problem with these ways of escape is that when we come back to reality the problem is still at hand and our actions may have actually made it worse.
Our call, our challenge in these circumstances is to call on God, to seek His face, His heart and look to Him for the way of escape. As we considered earlier this week, that "way of escape" will most likely mean that we "gotta go through it" while leaning on Him in the process.
I'll leave you with a song by Steve Green that came to mind in relation to these thoughts. "He Who Began a Good Work in You".
If the struggle you're facing
Is slowly replacing your hope
With despair
Or the process is long
And you're losing your song
In the night
You can be sure that the Lord
Has His hand on you
Safe and secure
He will never abandon you
You are His treasure
And He finds His pleasure in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He'll be faithful to complete it
He Who started the work
Will be faithful to complete it in You.
Don't try to stand or escape on your own. His escape will be seeing you through it, giving you the strength to endure.
In Christ,
Mike
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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
11-12These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
14So, my very dear friends, when you see people reducing God to something they can use or control, get out of their company as fast as you can.
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