Wednesday, June 12, 2013
By: Rachelle Hitt Bilbo
"The Lord's Prayer" Series Day 9: "Lead us not into temptation..."
Spiritual Claustrophobia
1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
I know several people who suffer from claustrophobia. So, I understand the effects of this horrible fear. Claustrophobia is defined as "the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms."
Spiritually, we can be faced with situations and temptations that we feel like there is absolutely no way out. This can result in fear, anxiety and hopelessness which can lead us further into the direction that we don't want to go in!
Today's scripture reminds us that there is always a way out - God will NOT allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle.
Ephesians 6:4 instructs, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord."
God - the greatest and most loving Father - would never provoke us to anger or sin. God does not send temptation, but because He has given us free will, we will be faced with temptation in life.
Temptation is not simply succumbing to an addiction, it also involves how we respond to life's trials. Do we stay on course in our relationship with God or allow the distractions of life to overcome us?
An example of this is found in the book of Job. Satan challenges God that the only reason Job is a faithful follower of God is because God has protected him and prospered him. He tells God that if Job's possessions would be compromised that he would surely then curse God instead.
In an attempt to prove his point, Satan then tests Job. While there were times that Job was angry and discouraged, he never cursed God. As a result, God rewarded Job with seven times what he had lost.
There will be times of great testing in our lives, but God gives us the power to overcome through Him. John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
I challenge you today to realize that you are not "trapped" in your situation. Sadly, we will all experience trouble in life, but He will always provide a way out. He will cause you to come out stronger and better off than before.
Dear Father, I thank You that You do not "lead us into temptation," but that through You, there is freedom from fear, anxiety and hopelessness.
I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.
