A strategy for winning over temptation

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Nehemiah 9:22–10:39 
1 Corinthians 9:19–10:13 
Psalm 34:1-10 
Proverbs 21:13

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

1 Corinthians 10:13 (CSB) "No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verse for Today is an often misquoted passage. 

Many times, when life gets tough, some Christians will say something humorous like, "I know that God says He won't give me more than I can bear. I just wish He wouldn't trust me so much." In saying this, they assume that 1 Corinthians 10:13 talks about difficulties in life.

Yet, that's not at all what the verse is talking about. Words like difficulties, trials, or anything of the sort do not appear in this verse.

The words that do appear are tempted and temptation. This verse is not addressing the difficulties of life. It is aimed at giving comfort and hope to the person who is being tempted to sin.

In it, God says that no matter how powerful the temptation and how hopeless it may feel to get out of the temptation without sinning, we are assured that God won't allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to pass the test. Further, He will always make sure that we aren't so boxed in by the temptation that we simply must sin. There will always be a way out of the situation in which we can maintain our integrity.

Now, this is easy to write. It is quite another in 'real life.' But, that's where a few principles come into play:

• We must know God's Word so much that we have a very clear sense of what is right and wrong. This means that we must read and study it every single day.
• We must reflect (meditate) on Scripture so that we not only know what it says but that it becomes ingrained in our way of thinking and influences how we see everything in and around us.
• We must have at least one friend who holds us accountable (ask us tough questions and has permission to point out sin in our life when they see it).
• We must have a holy anger at sin so that we have plenty of motivation to avoid it and to choose the high road regardless of the consequences.
• We must learn how to live under the control of the Holy Spirit so that we can be directed by Him in moments of testing.

Friend, Satan sends temptations your way to defeat you on the field of battle. God sends many of those same temptations your way to test you and strengthen you. Satan sends them to harm you. God sends them for your good. How you respond to temptation determines who will accomplish their purposes. 

May we determine to respond to temptations in such a way that God is always glorified (seen to be the good God that He is).