GospeLines Ministries® Daily Devotional for April 14, 2010
Have you missed any of our devotionals? Remember they can be found in the Archive section of our Website http://www.gospelines.com "Let Us Pray" Part 9 "And don't let us yield to temptation" Matthew 6:13 NLT If you consider this verse as part of the "How to Live for Christ" manual you received when you became a Christian it will be easier to grasp the meaning. Yielding to temptation is natural, so learning NOT to yield is a process that comes with practice and is often associated with a fierce struggle. Does this verse say that unless we ask God to protect us from temptation He won't? No. At first glance it also seems that this unusual petition opens the possibility that God would intentionally "lead us into temptation," but we know that isn't true either. Jesus counseled the disciples to pray lest they fall into temptation ( Matthew 26:41 KJV ); furthermore, we know that temptation does not come from God ( James 1:13 KJV ). So the paradox of this verse lies in the several meanings of the Greek word. This word is presented over and over in the New Testament, and it's translated in several ways depending upon its context. Sometimes this word is translated test, sometimes it's translated prove, sometimes it's translated trial, and sometimes it's translated temptation because it can be any of those things. I'm convinced in our verse it would better be translated trial. Let's read it that way. "God, lead me out of the potential of evil that's in my trials and tests." Tests have always scared me whether in the classroom or in life. I don't like being tested because there is always the potential for failure.both in academia and in the real world. I must constantly guard against failing those tests which come to me because I live in a fallen world. Maybe it's a test of the eyes, or of the ears; or maybe a test of the tongue, or even a physical test. I must constantly be alert to what's going on around me. We thank God for saving us from our sins of the past, but this petition shows we are equally concerned about the sins of the future! So we pray, don't ever lead us into something that we can't handle, an idea which comes from one of the greatest verses in the entire Bible ( 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV ). Don't give us a trial that is going to become an irresistible temptation but rather deliver us from any trial that would bring evil on us as a natural consequence. You see, what God intends for good, Satan uses for evil. Tests are given for rejoicing over the glory of God, and for strengthening the believer. A trial is a test to prove your strength, to exercise your spiritual muscle, and develop your spiritual strength. Our petition is an appeal to our Father that through our trials, not the absence of them, we may learn to overcome temptation ( 1 Peter 1:5-7 KJV ). GospeLines Prayer: Father, I don't know if I will ever be a YIPPEE kind of Christian when it comes to rejoicing over personal trials and tests, but at least help me to become mature enough to know that while exercising my spiritual muscles may cause a little soreness now, the reward is eternal. Amen and amen. Tommy Harrison www.gospelines.com 3 crosses Amen and Amen! _____________________________________________________ GospeLines is a non-profit Christian ministry, providing free devotionals, Monday through Friday, to subscribers around the world. If you are receiving this devotional as a forward from a friend, please use the link below to become a subscriber. 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