March 20
Temptation
… he said to them, “Pray for strength against temptation."
Luke 22:40b (NCV)
Don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (THE MESSAGE)
Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation."
Luke 22:46 (NCV)
There is power and there is purpose in the words of Jesus Christ. There is power for me to tap into. There is purpose and direction for my life. This not only good; it’s what you and I need. His power, His purpose.
I’ve rediscovered Christ’s words where I need them the most—in battling temptation.
John, one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples, spoke of one of our great enemies: the world and the way it woos us (I John 2:15-16). The Apostle Paul details two more enemies that derail us: our own sinful nature (Galatians 5:16) and the Devil himself (II Corinthians 2:11).
Jesus’ words help us battle all three, and personally, I have found power and great help in following Jesus’ advise: Pray!
While I face many temptations—we all do—recently, I’ve had to battle a new one: overeating. Can you believe it? Skinny, beanpole Craig worrying about his weight? Well, maybe there's a little pride mixed in there too….
You see, I’m aging and so is my metabolism. My indulgences are not without penalty. Yikes! My gut is … growing!?
So, I confess. I’ve overeaten. I’ve treated myself to more ice cream than I need. Do I need ice cream? Probably not. My boys love vanilla ice cream and it’s been too easy to say, Yes, I’ll have some too.
Jesus’ words are so helpful. They give me power to say, No! but it’s His power, not mine. His model prayer shows how much we need to seek God’s help … “and lead us not into temptation….”
Long story short, I’ve been following Jesus' advise … the temptation is fading … and so are my love-handles!
Father, thank You for Jesus and His words of wisdom for us. Help me to apply these and grow … spiritually, Lord, spiritually! Amen.
Temptation
… he said to them, “Pray for strength against temptation."
Luke 22:40b (NCV)
Don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (THE MESSAGE)
Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation."
Luke 22:46 (NCV)
There is power and there is purpose in the words of Jesus Christ. There is power for me to tap into. There is purpose and direction for my life. This not only good; it’s what you and I need. His power, His purpose.
I’ve rediscovered Christ’s words where I need them the most—in battling temptation.
John, one of Jesus’ most trusted disciples, spoke of one of our great enemies: the world and the way it woos us (I John 2:15-16). The Apostle Paul details two more enemies that derail us: our own sinful nature (Galatians 5:16) and the Devil himself (II Corinthians 2:11).
Jesus’ words help us battle all three, and personally, I have found power and great help in following Jesus’ advise: Pray!
While I face many temptations—we all do—recently, I’ve had to battle a new one: overeating. Can you believe it? Skinny, beanpole Craig worrying about his weight? Well, maybe there's a little pride mixed in there too….
You see, I’m aging and so is my metabolism. My indulgences are not without penalty. Yikes! My gut is … growing!?
So, I confess. I’ve overeaten. I’ve treated myself to more ice cream than I need. Do I need ice cream? Probably not. My boys love vanilla ice cream and it’s been too easy to say, Yes, I’ll have some too.
Jesus’ words are so helpful. They give me power to say, No! but it’s His power, not mine. His model prayer shows how much we need to seek God’s help … “and lead us not into temptation….”
Long story short, I’ve been following Jesus' advise … the temptation is fading … and so are my love-handles!
Father, thank You for Jesus and His words of wisdom for us. Help me to apply these and grow … spiritually, Lord, spiritually! Amen.
posted by Craig Soderquist at 7:49 AM
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