Lead us not into …
Temptation. Does God tempt us, or do we do it to ourselves?
What are you tempted by? Our sin nature drives us to do that which is not good for us. I believe the core of that is selfishness. We want what we want, and we want it now regardless of the long-term cost. It’s that package from Amazon that contains that thing we had to have. We could buy it on a credit card, but that comes due soon. Did you have enough cash to buy it? Did you need it, or was it just a ‘want’?
Our wants are not bad. I think God gives us our desires, likes and dislikes, a favorite color, and something we like as a treat because He wants us to enjoy the life He gave us. Ecclesiastes is quoted in 2:24 as “So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.” That doesn’t mean that is all there is, but we can enjoy that every day. Is it hard? Is there struggle? Of course, but we should not dwell on that. Jesus said in John 16:3, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” That’s His promise to us.
This world is not what God intended, but it shows us a bit of what is to come. Believers are promised a New Earth and a New Heaven when Jesus returns. This is promised in Revelation, the last book of the New Testament. Rev 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared,” and it’s mentioned in many other places in the Bible. Promises. That is what I’m counting on.
The point I am making is that, in the world, we have many things that give us joy, and I would say they are gifts from God, and those things that take joy away are either the result of selfishness, fulfilled temptation that leads to sin, or maybe the work of Satan and his demons. Prayer can help you discover their source and perhaps show a way out, but a sure way to avoid the heartbreak is to ask God about it before we commit to a path that will ultimately be a sinful thing.
Kevin Queen was a pastor at 12Stone for a bit, and at the end of a sermon, he told a story about his daughter. They had gone to the park and playground, and as he closed the gate, she asked, “What do you want me to do?” Puzzled, Kevin asked her what she meant, and she said, “Do you want me to go on the swings first or do you want me to go on the slide?” His response was the lesson. He replied, “As long as you stay inside the fence, you can do whatever you want”.
That is what God wants for us too.
Stay inside the guidelines and inside what God has for us, and we can do whatever we want. We can ask God what color car He wants us to have, but the question we ought to be asking is, “Can we afford the car?” If we can, then maybe your favorite color is the answer (mine is red!), and I believe if God wants you to have a particular color, He’ll tell you, but silence may be His way of saying, “As long as you stay inside the fence, you can do whatever you want.”
One thing to remember: The more you talk to God, the easier it is to hear Him when He answers. At least that’s been my experience. Part of our prayer ought to be, “And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”
Grateful for grace and mercy every day.
Jerry Robertson