Friday 22 February 2008

A way out

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. – 1 Corinthians 10v13

Every single one of us can think of a time when we thought we had had enough. Maybe it was a trial of life that just seemed like it would overwhelm us. Maybe it was a temptation to sin that just seemed like we were powerless to avoid. Maybe our flesh was crying out so loudly for attention that all we wanted to do was placate it.

I think any of these are applicable to what we read in this verse. The word “temptation” is a hard one to pin down. Every one knows that I am no Greek scholar, but from what I can figure out this is some kind of testing or time of adversity. The context here seems to be a temptation to sin, but I for one find that when I am struggling through a trial of life my flesh is normally at its weakest and the temptation to give in grows.

I am not going to solve the word. I will leave that to the true scholars. But, I do know this; God has a promise for us. No matter what the temptation is, it is part of being human, it is common to man. And with that temptation, no matter what it is, God promises a way out.

From my experience I have found that the way out may be clear and practical, like running away for the sin as quickly as you can. Other times it may not be so clear. Sometimes it may be that the way out is just to “cast all our cares on Him, knowing that He cares for us.”

Trials and temptations are going to come – it is just part of life. But rest assured that God will provide a way through them.

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