Thursday Devotional - God Is With Us When We’re Tempted

When you are being tempted, do you usually feel surrounded by darkness or by God’s loving arms? It may depend on the temptation, but it can feel like a heavy weight of darkness!

As Joe and I continue walking through some situations with one of our children, our timely Matthew study has helped us! We studied repentance last week (in Matthew 3) and temptation this week (in Matthew 4).

Matthew 4:1-4, 8-11      Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  Jesus answered, “it is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’.” … Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”  Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.  Matthew 4:1-4, 8-11

God doesn’t tempt us, but He does allow us to be tempted just as He allowed Jesus to be tempted. However, God always provides a way out (I Corinthians 10:13).  Knowing His Word (like Jesus did) will help us recognize and choose the “way out.”  The “way out” may even include choosing not to go somewhere or do something in the first place that might lead to a tempting situation. 

We can run into God’s open arms instead of into the trap of temptation. As we’ve been trying to convey to our child, God is ready to help us, if we will turn to Him. He can surround us and provide what He knows we need, just as He provided strength and truths during Jesus’ temptation. He then sent angels to attend to Jesus’ needs afterwards. 

Our child thought of several verses they could quote when tempted and they realized they could pray before doing everything (even small things like washing their hands). They said it seemed silly and really hard. Yes, but if we could all do that, imagine how God-focused and obedient we would be!!!   

How will you be ready to recognize and use God’s presence and help when you’re tempted? He’s ready with open arms to embrace you and me when we run from temptation!

Alice

Golden Silence

 Sometimes, I am my own worst enemy. Sometimes, I simply cannot resist speaking up and making clear exactly how foolish I am. Sometimes. Okay, way too often. I struggle with the difference between assertions and questions. Even when I try to use questions, they come out sounding like thinly disguised assertions - because they often are.

Why is silence is so difficult? Jesus did it. He didn't answer His accusers. He didn't feel the need to correct their foolish accusations. When they struck the truth, even obliquely, He affirmed it. Yet He never defended Himself. He was like a lamb led to slaughter, the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world.

The psalmist, probably David, reminds us of the power of silence:

My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation.
(Psalms 62:1 NASB)

In the NASB text, "waits" is in italics, which means this word has been added for clarity. Literally, it reads "Only to God silence my soul, from Him my salvation." Which explains why it needed some clarity. Hebrew poetry is both beautiful and, well, difficult.

When we continue on in the psalm, though, it turns out that David is pointing out that the rest of his world seems out to get him - it's noisy and chaotic, dangerous and deceitful. With God, though, it's different.

Only to God can he find that quiet for his soul. Only before the presence of the True King can he find the peace that quiets the chaos around him. Why is that? Because as David approaches God, he becomes more aware that any hope of salvation, deliverance from his adversaries, any hope of seeing through the deceptions, all David needs is found in God.

Last week, Erin Miller wrote about waiting for God when all is dark, inside us or around us. So often, that's how it feels, and it felt that way for David (and the prophet Micah, as Erin pointed out).

Be comforted by salvation in our Creator, not in ourselves or through other creatures. I didn't save myself, nor do I remain my Father's child by my own efforts. I can wait for my Savior, even when it seems dark, when chaos surrounds me, when my paranoia sets in and my fears mushroom, when my imagination lies to me and friends don't have time for me. 

Only to God. Silence, my soul.

From Him my salvation.