An unknown to me, seminary teacher defined temptation quite plainly: “Temptation is the work of the devil to drag you to Hell!” When battling temptation we are in a war, a war with the devil who wants to destroy us. He wants this because he hates our relationship with the Lord God Almighty. “The thief does not come except to STEAL, and to KILL, and to DESTROY…” (John 10:10a)
Why does God permit temptation? In one sense temptation is the NECESSARY RESULT OF FREEDOM. As free persons who are invited to love God and to say YES to His will, we MUST BE PERMITTED TO SAY NO. There must be real alternatives to what God offers. If God could force our yes, then we would not be free and our yes would have no real meaning. Further, if God were not to permit any alternatives, or if He did not allow us to know of these alternatives, again our yes would lose most of its meaning. So on one level, temptation is the result of FREEDOM AND OUR CALL TO LOVE GOD WITH OUR ALL. “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 Corin. 10:13)
Something very important for us to specialize in is a PASSIONATE, INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. “Ho! Everyone who thirsts (for intimacy), Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy…without money and without price…Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And LET YOUR SOUL 1DELIGHT ITSELF in abundance…come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you…” (Isa. 55:1-3) 1‛ânag: take exquisite delight. “Take EXQUISITE DELIGHT in the Lord and He will give you the requests of your Heart.” (Psa. 37:4) This is a benefit of our intimacy with God, “I call on you, my God, for YOU WILL ANSWER ME; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.” (Psa. 17:6) The Holy Spirit was given to us to lead us into truth, “…when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not SPEAK on His own; He will SPEAK ONLY WHAT HE HEARS, and He will TELL YOU what is yet to come.” (John 16:13) We must believe and learn to listen. I pray each morning as I begin writing these devotions. The Lord knows my heart and my insufficiencies, so, I always listen very carefully for what the Lord want’s written and the Lord NEVER lets me down. Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it MORE ABUNDANTLY.” (John 10:10b)
-Bill Stockham