Tempting

Sometimes people will be facing adversity. They have trouble at work or at home or a problem with their health or in their financial life. We all know what that's like. Someone who wants to encourage them will come along and say, "You can face this! You're strong! You're capable! Besides, we know this is not beyond your ability to cope because the Bible says, 'God never gives us more than we can handle. '" Now, that's often intended to be a comforting statement because it's kind of taken as a promise. If you just trust God, things will not get too bad. They will not get unbearable. Your life will be manageable. The problem is the Bible never says that. In fact, if you've read the Bible at all, you know the Bible is largely the story of people being given things they cannot handle.

When Paul is called by Jesus, the very first thing Jesus says is, "I must show Paul how much he will suffer for my name." Here's where I think this miss use comes from. Paul writes, (1 Corinthians 10:13) "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. "Now, Paul doesn't say here, "Expect minimal suffering because God won't give you anything you can't bear." He says, "Don't let yourself rationalize sliding into sin because God will not allow temptation to come your way without providing a way out for you.

Now I love Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I know I should not. I go past it and the "Hot Now" neon light is on. You can actually download a hot donuts app to push notifications. They are addicting. Like a donut version of crack, so I think maybe God wants me to have a hot doughnut. I will drive around the shop, and if there's an open parking space in front, I will know it is God's will for me to have a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Sure enough, my seventh time around the shop there is an open space right there.
In our day, the word temptation has largely become a joke or a tease. We see it mostly on dessert menus or reality TV shows, but temptation does a terrible thing. It will try to unravel your humanity by convincing you that you are just an appetite that has to be gratified. God doesn't do that. God will give, Paul says, a way out.

He will give you a fellowship group if you're an addict. He will give you the opportunity to confess and come clean. He'll give you another person who loves you to be accountable to. He will give you a friend who will pray for you. He will give you a sense of conviction that says, "Run! Don't walk out of this situation or out of this relationship." God will give you warning bells of conscience, the Holy Spirit, to just prompt you to say, "This is the wrong path to take."
 
Reading is fundamental
Timmy B