God in my temptation
Posted by Seyifunmi
Today, we’d be studying the role of God when we face temptations, tests and trials. In life, we face temptations, tests and trials. Everyone does! Where is God involved in the temptation? Do they come from God? Let’s examine the Bible. The first thing you have to know concerning God and your trial is… God IS NEVER the cause or source of whatever you go through. This is an important truth you must allow to sink into your mind. James 1:13, ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man’. God NEVER tempts any man! Never say that your condition originates from God. Why? It’ll stifle faith to overcome. Let’s examine some of Paul’s writings along these lines. 2 Corinthians 12:6-10, ‘And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong’. Without a careful study of this verse, one is bound to make terrible assumptions about God and his character. Some folks say, ‘Well, God gave Paul a thorn in his flesh’. I wonder whether they simply are blind over the plain facts of this verse or are simply insincere. The Bible clearly states the origin; it’s called ‘a messenger of Satan’. Satan was the cause and source of his troubles! Except we’d want to say satan is God which seems to be the case with many folks theology; never understanding the difference between the two. But then, someone says, ‘Well, Paul told God to remove it thrice and God didn’t’. Simple. It’s because of the nature of the temptation. It’s called a ‘thorn in the flesh’. It’s by no means a sickness or disease as some folks mischievously claim. It refers to persecution from other people. This expression was used previously in the OT – Numbers 33:55, Joshua 23:13. So, why didn’t it depart from Paul? Very simple! Because God WILL NOT manipulate people’s wills. If someone has chosen to yield his will to satanic influence, God cannot interfere. Why? In his sovereignty, he has given man autonomy. So, it wasn’t God’s place to interfere. What then did God do? He pointed him to the power of his Grace to sustain him. That’s God in our temptation! He ensures that despite what satan does, we prevail still! 1 Corinthians 10:13, ‘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.’ God’s role in our temptation is to make a way of escape for us. He never engineers it, but is eager to help us overcome and show us the way out.
Prayer
Dear Father, I bless you for your Word to me. I revel in the fact that in every trial and temptation, you’d show me the way out in victory. Thank you, Lord.
Further Study
James 1:1-14
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