Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 6 of the Lord’s Prayer Series “Temptation & Evil” (LISTEN HERE).
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it.
Temptations are like test questions. The question is neutral. How I answer the question either makes it right or wrong. So in temptations, the test is will I walk with the Lord in the situation or follow my sinful nature and walk away from the Lord.
When I took tests in school, there were two keys I found to do well. First, study. Nothing around putting the time in to prepare for the test. Second, look for answers. (No, not a cheat sheet) I not only found the challenge to answer the questions correctly, but also realized that often teachers put answers in the test…if you look for them. Question 12 may be answered in the wording of question 16. I remember one final in college that was all multiple choice. There were about 5 questions that I didn’t really know. I looked at the pattern of answers: A, B, C, D, C, B, A, B, etc. I was right. The 5 or so I didn’t know I just followed the pattern and got 100%.
You have to prepare AND look for the way out.
In essence, God is saying, “I’m giving you the answers to get it right every time!”
A good example of preparing for temptation and then finding the way out is in Joseph and his interaction with Potiphar’s wife.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. (Genesis 39:6-12)
The Lord had Joseph on a journey of preparation. He wasn’t a perfect individual, but the Lord was molding his faith. In this situation with Potiphar’s wife, he had predecided to honor the Lord. “How can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” With the Lord’s help, let’s decide to always honor him. When temptation comes, we simply echo Joseph’s words, “How can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
Then look for the way out. For Joseph it was running! The way out can be removing yourself from the situation. Have friends that like to drink too much? Don’t hang out with them. Tempted to pornography? Set up accountability on your web browser. Tempted to prided? Have a trusted friend to bounce off your thoughts and interactions. God puts his Word in our hearts, godly friends in our lives, and his Spirit in our hearts to give us what we need to have to win the victory over sin.
Temptation will come…look to God to pass the test!
Apply: How can you prepare to face temptation? What is your escape route for temptations that come your way?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for always providing a way out of temptation that comes our way. AMEN.