In Days Of Danger, Seeing The Paths Of Safety
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 Corinthians 10:13
Thomas à Kempis was right when he said, “Temptations discover what we are.”
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Daily confrontation with temptation is part of the price of being human.
But while you have no say in the matter of whether you will be tempted (you will be!), you do have much to say about the outcome. There will always be a way out.
John Calvin highlights this important but infrequently applied truth.
WALK WITH JOHN CALVIN
“Paul exhorts us to look to the Lord, because even the slightest temptation will overcome us if we rely on our own strength.
“He speaks of the Lord as faithful and true to his promises, as though he had said, ‘The Lord is the sure guardian of his people, under whose protection you are safe. For he never leaves his people destitute.’
“When you are under his protection, you have no cause to fear, provided you depend entirely upon him.
“Now God helps us in two ways so that we may not be overcome by the temptation: he supplies us with strength, and he sets limits to the temptation. He knows the measure of our power, which he has conferred. According to that he regulates our temptations.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
Since God has promised a way out when temptation strikes, then the real issue is not, “Can I emerge victorious?” You can!
Rather, the questions are: “Lord, am I willing to look for your way out? When I find it, am I willing to use it? And once I’ve used it, am I willing to resist the urge to leave a forwarding address?”
Where there’s a willingness, there’s a way!
