Tag: Temptation

Posted on

Learn to Praise

AUGUST 20

MATTHEW 6:31_saying, what shall ye eat or, what shall ye drink, or wherewithal shall ye be clothed?

If you plan to overcome worry with Scripture, go to those wonderful Psalms. When the devil tempts you to worry it is because he knows worry weakens. Weakness makes an easy target.

Rather than worrying, learn to praise. Psalm 63 is a great way to praise. Read verses 1-8 (KJV), “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.”

Notice when to seek God—early.

Notice what thirsts—the soul.

Notice how the soul follows after God—hard.   

PRAYER

Lord Who Satisfies, I want my soul satisfied by You—to follow hard after You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ’s lovingkindness is better than life – I praise Him!

Posted on

The Bling Melts

AUGUST 19

MATTHEW 6:31_saying, what shall ye eat or, what shall ye drink, or wherewithal shall ye be clothed?

Remember how Jesus referred to Himself as Bread and as Water? This is spiritual bread and water. It feeds the spirit and satisfies the soul. The spirit can overpower the body, but it must be yielded to Jesus. Just because you are a spiritual being does not automatically make you salty-lit-up disciples of Jesus. You either yield your spirit to Jesus or yield it to the devil.

The devil also has the power to meet needs – but anything he supplies is temporary. The devil’s temptations sparkle and dazzle with an abundance of bling. They offer a way out of suffering. Who doesn’t want a way out? The devil can satisfy your physical but never your spiritual. A spirit yielded to the devil can never be satisfied. Your spirit was created with a yearning to know and be in a loving relationship with Jesus. Once the devil has you in his trap – nothing satisfies. All his bling melts away and cravings are worse than they were before you yielded.

Adam and Eve’s son, Cain, met his needs the easy way. Their son, Abel, chose God’s way.  Genesis 4:7 (KJV), “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door…”

Cain committed the first murder. His easy way cost the life of his brother.   

PRAYER

Lord Who Cares, Help me to be strong and choose Your way. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ can make me strong—I ask Him to!

Posted on

Nobody Ever Said It Is Easy

AUGUST 18

MATTHEW 6:31_Therefore take no thought…

Remember when the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for a time of testing? There was nothing easy about it. Jesus was called to fast, and the devil tempted Him to break the fast and eat. If you recall, Jesus used the same weapon against the devil that we should use – the words of truth. In this instance Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV), “… man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” 

If your family is going through some kind of a struggle, the devil’s temptation is for you to worry. Nobody ever said it is easy not to worry when you are struggling. Use this time to shout out the Joshua chapter 1 cheer: “Be strong and of a good courage.”This is the time to defy thoughts of worry about where your next meal is coming from, or some other need. This is a time to quote the entire verse of Joshua 1:9 (KJV), “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” You’re not in this alone.  Whithersoever covers everywhere. Thou goest doesn’t necessarily mean a certain place. It could mean where you are in the circumstances of your life.

You don’t have strength to just not worry – overpower worry with the truth of Scripture.

PRAYER

Mighty Warrior, You know my circumstances and are with me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ is a warrior for me—wherever I am in life!

Posted on

Because He Knew the Truth

JULY 8

MATTHEW 6:18_That thou appear not unto men to fast…

We have discussed how after His baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into a time of great self-denial. Matthew 4:1-4 (KJV), “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, ‘If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.’ 4 But he [Jesus] answered and said, ‘It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'”

There were no people in this wilderness experience. Jesus did not have anyone to show-off His great piety for God. The devil came up with another form of temptation, since his, “See how good I am,” scheme would not work. The devil tempts Jesus to break the fast and eat. Jesus overcame the temptation because He knew the truth – “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Jesus understood the purpose for His fast. He was led to fast in preparation for His earthly ministry. Jesus knew He needed this set-apart time.

You may think the cross was the only sacrifice Jesus made for you – but there is so much more.

PRAYER

Lord God, Praise You for all the sacrifices You made for me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ gave all of Himself—He did it to love me!

Posted on

Good-Versus-Evil

JUNE 19

MATTHEW 6:13_but deliver us from evil…

Because the world is full of evil does not mean good does not exist. Nor does it mean good does not prevail. Good prevails more than evil – it is just harder to see. Ultimately, it will prevail once and for all! In the meantime, you live with evil.

Every day is a good-versus-evil battle. The times when evil wins are difficult. Just to see some of the world’s evil on the News can be disturbing. It causes an oppressive spirit to hang heavy in your soul. You ask God how such things can happen. You wonder how humans reach such a level of degradation. When there is evil in your personal life – you need hope.  

When you pray not to be led into temptation, add as Jesus did to be delivered from evil. The devil intends evil daily. That’s his intention. It does not mean he wins. God intends mercy daily. God holds all the cards. One card God holds which the devil can never get his hands on is found in Romans 8:28 (KJV), “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.“

Get to know this verse and praise God for it. This is why good prevails more than evil. God can take the devil’s evil and cause good for His people. The times when evil wins a battle are not the end of the war. Your hope is in this verse.

Somewhere in the long run, God’s compassion and power will use pain to make you a better person!              

PRAYER

God of Hope, Please deliver me from evil. I know evil is in the world, but I know You are greater than the world. I praise Your power that helps me! In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ can make good from the devil’s evil – He does it for me!