Bro. Paul Chappell's devotion for today was a blessing to me this morning. I thought I would share it with you.
Thankful for His Faithfulness Thursday, November 12, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."
1 Corinthians 10:12-14
When temptation looms large in your path, look for God's "escape route" away from it.
Do you remember learning in school about the Lewis and Clark expedition across Western America? One interesting story that is told from that time is the story of John Colter, a frontiersman in the party who after three years of exploring began trapping beavers. The site he chose for his trapping activities was near the Missouri River, in the heart of Blackfoot Indian country.
One day, while setting traps, Colter an his companion were surrounded by Indians. Trying to leave, his friend was shot and killed. Colter was captured, stripped of all his possessions (even his shoes), and was marched to a nearby hill. His captors released him, allowed him some time to run off, and then set off in pursuit of him. It was a deadly game of hide-and-seek the Indians enjoyed "playing."
Colter figured out their "game" and even though he had no shoes or possessions, he set off to find a way of escape from their grasp. He climbed over rocks, jetted in and out of forests, and covered nearly three hundred miles on bare feet to find safety. Eventually, he did escape the Indians and found his way back home.
Much like Colter, we can sometimes find ourselves running from an adversary, seeking escape. God tells us that the devil is our adversary, and he seeks us out to try to devour us. But just as Colter found escape, so we can find escape too, as our verses today show.
First Corinthians gives us a promise for our battle against the devil-"but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." God promises help when we need it most.
God is faithful. He is faithful to see our struggle and offer a way of escape. God knows our limits, and He knows what we can handle, so He promises to not give us more than we can handle. He promises to help us through temptation, and give us a way to resist it.
God isn't willing that you fall into temptation, so He offers His help in the midst of it. What a great God! While the devil will do his best to cause you to fall, God offers His "escape route" so that you can resist temptation and continue living for Him.
Thank God that He is faithful! He is not only faithful to save you, but to deliver you from temptation. Are you facing an overwhelming temptation today? Perhaps there is a trap the devil continues to throw at you. Don't give in to the temptation, thinking resistance is futile. Seek God's help, and follow His plan of escape. Allow God to lead you past the temptation and into continued fellowship with Him.
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