The Prime Time for Temptation

The Prime Time for Temptation SARAH GERINGER “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’” Matthew 4:1-3 (NIV) My mind had just traveled down an all-too-familiar path. Absently wandering onto it while chopping vegetables for dinner, I felt frustrated with myself for traversing it again. Ever since third grade, when a popular boy gave me a compliment, I have used fantasy as a soothing escape in lonely moments. Fantasies of the PG variety, like the pretty romances of Hallmark Channel movies. Nothing too bad, I convinced myself. Just myriad replays of real interactions or imagined meetings, when a Prince Charming would affirm, rescue or comfort me. Standing in my kitchen, contemplating an unsolicited yet flattering social media message, I ended up much further down the path than usual. In a few seconds, I was reveling in a lovely future with a stranger I had seen only in a tiny avatar picture. But God met me on that imaginary path. He reminded me I had recently surrendered this 30-year-old thought pattern to Him in my quest to heal from past hurts. Even though my fantasy world was known only to Him, it had potential to be quite dangerous. My fantasies tempt me to find comfort in perfect mental images rather than in the presence of the living God. As shame pressed down on my shoulders, Jesus lifted it off. He brought to my mind scenes from His own temptation. I realized the devil didn’t attack Him as soon as He entered the wilderness. Instead, Satan waited for the prime time, when Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread’” (Matthew 4:1-3). Satan knows our prime time for temptation, when we are most vulnerable to his attacks. Loneliness has keened in my spirit in the late afternoons for three decades. It first crept in when I was a latchkey kid, coming home to an empty house and waiting for family to fill it back up. Now, this same lonely time weakens me before my family rejoins for dinner. In my prime time for temptation, I’m often hungrier for relationship than for the meal I’m preparing. God gently comforted me when I acknowledged the loneliness underneath my fantasy. For the thousandth time, He promised to never leave me nor forsake me, and peace flooded my spirit. Then He showed me a few practical ways to guard my heart against Satan’s attacks. I pray these methods help you too. Listen to praise music. I enjoy listening to music while I cook. Love songs set the stage for fantasies, but praise and worship music points me toward Jesus’ embrace. Meditate on Scripture. I display Scripture memory cards in my kitchen. When a tempting thought enters my mind, I glance over at them and speak God’s Word out loud. Jesus fought Satan’s temptation with Scripture, and we can defeat Satan with the same method. Send up arrow prayers. When I realize I’m stuck on a destructive fantasy path, I cry out, “Help me, Lord!” This arrow prayer breaks the allure of fantasy, brings me back into the present and gets me running back into Jesus’ arms. If you struggle with fantasies in your thought life, God is ready and eager to deliver you. He wants to be your Comforter instead of those picture-perfect images. Our fantasy lives will never fully satisfy our cravings for relationships. Only God can perfectly fill all our needs. He is faithful to meet us in our weaknesses and strengthen us with His presence. Today, ask God to reveal your prime time of temptation. Invite Him into that space, and He will help you resist the devil’s attacks in your thought life. Heavenly Father, I surrender my thought life to You. Please reveal the fantasies I’m using for false comfort. I want to choose Your loving presence in my life instead of worthless mental images. I trust that You will provide for all my needs and help me resist the devil. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY: Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (NIV) 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (NIV)

God Works Within Us

God Works Within Us

By Dr. Charles Stanley

Ephesians 3:20-21

Let these words slowly sink into your understanding: “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (v. 20). What an amazing description of God’s ability to work within us.

Yet so often our focus is mainly on what we want Him to do around us: If He would change this situation or fix that problem, then my life would be better. But He invites us to think and ask bigger—He wants to change us!

The Holy Spirit has more than enough power to transform lives from the inside out, but working change within is usually a slow process. Spiritual fruit takes time to grow and mature. That’s why we need patience and faith to believe He is working even when we don’t see the results right away. God is never in a hurry and will never give up on us.

The Lord has a purpose for your life, and He is constantly working to achieve it. Although He has an individualized plan for each one of His children, He also has an overarching goal—to conform every believer to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. In order to accomplish this, He may have to bring us through some struggles and heartaches. It might make no sense to us, but God knows exactly what He’s doing.

What would you like to see the Lord do within you? As you read the Scriptures, look for qualities that God considers precious, and ask Him to work them out in your life. Then rely on His wonderful promise to do even more than you have asked or imagined.

Today, If You Hear His Voice

Today, If You Hear His Voice
by Lynette Kittle

Have you ever had God speak to heart about an issue, maybe multiple times, yet you keep thinking you’ll deal with it or make it right later?

If so, did you know every time you ignore His urging, your heart may be hardening towards the Lord? And by delaying to submit to His will, you are risking being able to obey Him in the future concerning the matter?

It’s easy to think you’ll take care of it when it works better in your schedule or you’re ready to turn away from the situation but Scripture says you may not have that opportunity.

As well, do you know that God views your delay in submitting as your testing Him because you aren’t yielding to His leading?

Throughout the Bible, God urges to “not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deuteronomy 6:16).

Scripture describes how the Israelites through their disobedience in the wilderness tested and tried God for 40 years. It explains how the errors in their hearts caused them to go astray and become harden towards Him (Psalm 95:7-10). Doing so cost them missing out on enjoying the good things God had prepared and planned for them.

In the wilderness during Jesus’ 40 day fast, Satan tempted Him to test God but Jesus reminded him of what Scripture states, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:7).

Maybe you thought you could try various things labeled off limits because you could stop anytime you want to end it, thinking you’ll have the strength to make that decision whenever you want.

It’s what the enemy of your soul wants you to believe, that you are strong enough to play around with disobedience and be able to give it up anytime you feel like it. But the truth is sinful deeds have a way of ensnaring individuals and the cords of the their sins hold them fast” (Proverbs 5:22).

Psalm 40:12 describes how easily this scenario can happen to an individual, “my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.”

Scripture urges you to not be deceived in these matters because a person reaps what he or she sows, and whoever sows to please their flesh, reaps destruction (Galatians 6:7-8).

So if you find yourself today in this situation, is there any hope? Is it too late, yet?

“As the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts’” (Hebrews 3:7-8).

Turn to God, cry out as David did saying, “Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord to help me” (Psalm 40:13).

Know that the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love (Psalm 145:8). Find comfort in knowing Jesus is able to empathize with your weaknesses, as He was tempted in every way, like us, yet didn’t sin (Hebrews 4:15).

1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Take this opportunity, this very minute, to make things right with God. Don’t risk losing this moment when your heart may be softened to obey Him. Don’t take for granted you’ll have another time to do so.

Recognize your responses to God’s leading matter to Him. Take into prayerful consideration the cost of your decision, how the good things God has planned for your future may be in jeopardy.

Wisdom from Above

Wisdom from Above
by Debbie Holloway

Recently I participated in a small group discussion on Christ-like humility. Our discussion leader had pulled up several Scripture passages for us to reflect upon, and one of them has been racing around in my brain ever since:

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy (James 3:17).

Christ (such as in Mark 1:35) always sought wisdom from above before speaking and acting. Thus, as Christians (Christ-followers) we should be constantly seeking this godly wisdom and applying it to our lives and relationships. But that verse is a big verse. What does it look like to have this wisdom from above?

1. It is first of all pure. Our motives for doing anything should reflect a desire to live like Christ and be in right relationship with God. If our earthly “wisdom” tells us to approach a situation with impure motives such as greed, selfishness, or pride – that is not wisdom from above.

2. It is peaceable. Sometimes we get preoccupied with the imagery of Spiritual Armor and treat everyone we meet like an enemy solider. We must remember that Ephesians 6:10 says this battle is “not against flesh and blood.” Our Lord is a Prince of Peace, and we have a duty to act as citizens of peace.

3. It is gentle. Proverbs 15:1. If we speak gently, others are more likely to accept and understand God’s work and wisdom. But gentleness is not just about tone of voice. Remember the gentleness and patience with which Jesus dealt with children, sinners, and his apostles. Gentleness is a way of life.

4. It is reasonable. Another translation of this reads “willing to yield to others” – and both are absolutely crucial elements of wisdom. It may seem impossible to live a pure lifestyle while being reasonable and willing to yield, but the Bible says we must. We were given an astounding level of intellect and reason – let us use it! We mustn’t buy in to the lie that “reason is the enemy of faith.” It is necessary to yield to God daily with every decision we make. But it is also possible (and necessary, and wise) to yield to others. Whether it’s a matter of selfless giving or resisting the urge to have angry, theological debates, we are called to yield.

5. It is full of mercy. That parent who abused their authority? That government leader who makes you cringe? That blogger who sounds heretical? Wisdom from above tells us to look on them with mercy. After all, has not God shown us the greatest mercy of all?

6. It is full of good fruits. I’m sure many of us can list Galatians 5:22 of the Lord’s Spirit. When we use godly wisdom to discern what we should do, we will consider the fruits of our choices. Do we strive to make choices that result in the fruits of the Spirit manifested in our lives?

7. It is unwavering. Perhaps it might be strange to think that wisdom from above can be both “willing to yield” and “unwavering.” But don’t think of them as opposites. Perhaps think of it like a marriage or a friendship. Each person in the relationship must listen to reason and be willing to yield to the other. But the relationship itself must be unwavering. We must be bold enough to live unwaveringly as followers of Christ and good stewards of the earth, no matter the opposition.

8. It is without hypocrisy. If something seems like wisdom to you but causes you to be double-minded or deceitful, it cannot be wisdom from above. What we believe must match what we say. What we say must match how we behave. Otherwise, we misrepresent Jesus and the lifestyle we claim to live.

Intersecting Faith and Life: The next time you’re faced with a decision, take a moment to match up your actions with "wisdom from above."

A Prayer for Patience & Peace

A Prayer for Patience & Peace
By Dick Woodward

Throughout the history of the church, patience has always been considered a great virtue by spiritual heavyweights like Augustine, Thomas a Kempis and Francis of Assisi. Why is patience such an important virtue? For starters, patience is one of the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
In our relationship with God, we might call patience “faith-waiting.” In the Bible we are exhorted to “wait on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). It takes more faith to wait than most of the real life situations that challenge our walk with God. There are few spiritual disciplines that will focus our faith like those times when all we can do is wait on the Lord. When we are praying for something and receiving no answer, God may be teaching us that there are times when faith waits.

We all eventually find ourselves facing circumstances which are beyond our control. Imagine Paul chained in that awful prison in Rome. Would he find and maintain the peace of God if his formula for peace was to rattle his chains and ‘force it?’ Patience is the supernatural fruit of the Holy Spirit that gives us the grace to accept the things we cannot control.

God, teach us what it means to have faith in silence. When we face trials that are beyond our understanding, help us to find peace. Help me be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. You set all things in accordance to your time. Remind us to wait patiently, and find peace in your plan.