We all have vices and many times our bad habits leads to sin. Everyday we are tempted to step away from the path that God set for us. The good news is that Jesus understands temptation better than any of us. In Luke chapter four our Lord is Baptized and filled with the Spirit, from there Jesus is lead into the wilderness and for 40 days was tempted by the Devil.
Luke 4:6-7 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
Jesus never gave into the temptation.
Today many suffer from different types of temptation, some a lot more serious than others. Sin only leads to one road. For instance, you maybe thinking of sinning, and if it becomes a constance thought in your mind, by the time you sin, you are perfectly fine with it. We all justify our actions with positive self talk to minimize our offenses, but in reality sin is still sin.
I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
I know the God I serve can guide me through this life of questionable doubts, but I have to do my part. I must participate in not only my will, but most importantly His will.
I know God has a great sense of humor because he uses it on me often. This is an examples of my indulgences with shopping: I recently went shopping, but when Mike asked me if I bought anything, I lied and said no. Before Mike went to bed, he mentioned that he was going to take my car to get washed the following day. I remembered the purchases I made and went to my car to get the shopping bag. The Prius is a hatch back vehicle, I opened it, but when I closed it, my pinky from my left hand got wedged into the corner hatch. It did not hurt but it was definitely stuck. I tried to wiggle it free but that did not work. I freed my other hand of the purchases and tried to open the lever of the hatch but that too did not budge. Mike is a sound sleeper, so I knew that he was not going to hear my cry of despair, I did not have my phone either. It was about 11 P.M., I wondered how long I could stand, and if I should start yelling for help, and I also wondered if I could sleep while standing. I prayed and and tried the lever again, and The Lord showed mercy on me and freed my pinky. Then I asked God why this happened to me. The answer was clear, I did not need any of the stuff I purchased. This was God’s sweet way of dealing with my giving into temptation. God is so gentle and loving that he got my attention by allowing this to happen. This was not a life threatening situation, but nonetheless it made me recognize my sin.
As lighthearted as this message may be, I know that someone reading this is about ready to go into the sin of infidelity, I pray for you not to fall into this deadly trap and that you will listen with your spiritual heart a flee from this, God will honor your holy decision. Remember, God will provide you a way out.
My Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, you know everything about me and what cause me to sin. Lord I ask that you expose any insecurities from my past to bring healing in this area of my life. Help me to depend on you for all of my earthly needs, remove all distractions that keep me from serving you. Amen
