Verse of the Day 6/1

Verse of the Day 6/1

1 Corinthians 10:13 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.  English Standard Version (ESV)

When I was growing up back in the 60's, I remember when Star Trek first came to television.  It lasted only 3 short years but the reruns  continue to this day.  One of the things  that attracted me and many others to it was how  Captain Kirk never gave in.  There were scenarios week by week that seemed hopeless but the Captain's attitude was that he would find a way out, and he always did.  Surrender was not part of his character's make up, it was not part of who he was.

Sometimes we face temptations and we feel boxed in, as if there were no way out.  All too often when facing them our tendency is to give  up and give in.  Going back to the TV show, if Captain Kirk were to have given in, it would have been the end of the story, the end of the show.  What we are told in this verse is that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability to hold on, to take stand against sin.  He will provide a way of escape and help you to endure the conflict until  he  provides the way.

As you look back in the Bible there are many examples of times where the Apostles, prophets and kings faced seeming insurmountable odds and hopeless situations.  Paul and Silas sitting in jail, King Hezekiah facing a vast army or David being pursued by Saul and on and on.  I'm sure they each had doubts and considered surrendering to the opposition, but we read and learn from them because they resisted, they trusted, the persevered and they came through victorious.  Yielding to, caving in to temptation can be disastrous as David later came to find out.

We each face different temptations in areas of weakness.  May we trust in God, call out to Him, and powered by His grace, have the strength to endure and conquer those temptations to sin in our lives.

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. (1 Corinthians 10:13 The Message).

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

1 Corinthians 10:11-14The Message (MSG)

^11-12 These 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.

¹³ No 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.

¹⁴ So, 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.