No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Cor. 10:13 (NIV)
When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came. Luke 4:13 (NLT)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (ESV)
Lord Jesus, I praise you for the daily-ness of your warnings, and the persistence of your wooing. Everyday—sometimes hourly, we have to choose between wisdom and foolishness, light and darkness, life and death. Satan intends to steal, kill, and destroy us; but you give limitless mercy, abounding grace, and abundant life. The very fact that we indulge our fantasies underscores our weakness and vulnerability—and just how much we need the gospel daily.
Jesus, some of us are feeling highly tempt-able right now. Grab us and grace us. Temptation is raging and sin looks very appealing. Whether from weariness in well doing or the exhaustion of difficult relationships; the ache of unfulfilled longings or the naïveté of an unguarded heart; the quest for new adventure or the lure of old memories… we own our weakness and our need of you.
Thank you for your promise, that for every temptation we face in life—every one of them, you will always provide a way out. Show us what that looks like today, even in this very moment. Like Esau, sometimes a bowl of hot porridge in hand looks a lot more satisfying that the promise of a future inheritance. There IS pleasure in sin for a season; but it’s a very short, deceptive, and destructive season.
Help us make redemptive choices today—choices that celebrate the sufficiency of grace and the power of the gospel. Help us, Lord Jesus, for your honor, glory, and praise. So very Amen we pray, in your powerful and precious name.
