Waiting in hope ∙

Waiting in hope ∙

But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance, we wait eagerly for it. – Romans 8:25

Romans 8:23-25

 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.

 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

The Count of Monte Cristo, written by Alexandre Dumas, tells the story of Edmund Dantes. He is betrayed by his best friend and imprisoned for life. He has been in turmoil for years struggling with revenge, hope, love, and freedom. In his struggle, we see our own.

The Count of Monte Cristo, written by Alexandre Dumas, tells the tale of Edmund Dantes. After being betrayed by his closest friend and imprisoned for life. He endures a perpetual internal battle between revenge, hope, love, and freedom.

Dantes spends 24 years figuring things out. He feigns death and manages to escape. He discovers a vast fortune hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. He uses this wealth to systematically and successfully exact his revenge until he realizes that the son of his best, who married his fiancée in his absence, is actually his own child. Rather than kill him, he spares him.

In his struggle, we see our own. The book ends with the sagacious line spoken to his son, Maximilian, “all human wisdom is contained in these words: wait and hope!”

Biblical hope is not wishful thinking: “I hope everything turns out okay.” Biblical hope is the confident expectation that regardless of our circumstances and struggles, all the Father has promised will one day be realized.

Biblical hope is the present possession of every child of the King. But things hoped for still need to be experientially possessed. We can only hope for things that are still in the future. We confidently expect that they will one day be realized.

Our salvation in this lifetime is a mere glimpse of what is yet to come. It represents the vague outline of the substance of what we will experience in the future. We have an absolute assurance of the inheritance that awaits us, but we have yet to possess it fully.

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Now we see and know the Father in part. But then, we will have the unrestricted, perpetual pleasure of fully getting to know and experience Him. We will gaze and reflect upon the Father’s face.

Why did the Father create the human race? The human race was created by the Father to establish an everlasting relationship of knowing and cherishing Him. Thanks to the accomplished mission of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are absolved of our sins and redeemed. However, we have the additional promise of future glory when we are entirely delivered from sin itself. The constraints and impediments of existing in a corrupt world will be eradicated. The restrictions and limitations of living in a fallen world will be no more.

REFLECT & PRAY

We can have confident assurance that what He promised, He will also indeed perform.

Father thank You for the promise and hope of things to come. In the meantime, encourage me to persevere and overcome the difficulties I face in this present world.

INSIGHT

Until the future becomes the now of our present experience, that which is dimly foreshadowed should give us confidence that lifts our spirits and allows us to rise above the vicissitudes of life. “To Paul, life was not a weary, defeated waiting; it was a throbbing, vivid expectation” (Barclay).

Our hope is unseen and intangible, yet it is sure and certain. We are not to wait for it passively. But instead, we are to hold on eagerly and strenuously even amidst pain, suffering, and adversity. We look forward expectantly with endurance, steadfastly refusing to be shaken.

Romans 8:19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.

The Greek word translated as waiting eagerly, eager expectation, or earnest expectation is apokaradokia. Apokaradokia comes from apo – off, kara – head, and dokeo – to watch. It connotes an amazing word picture of watching eagerly with an outstretched head. “It describes the stance of someone who scans the horizon with head thrust forward, eagerly searching the distance for the first signs of the dawn breaking” (Barclay).

Expectant hope with endurance is a matter of focus.

Children of the King do not live only in the world; we also live in Christ. We do not see only the world; we look beyond it to the Father. We do not see only the consequences of human sin; we see the power of the Father’s mercy and love. Therefore, the keynote of the life of each child of the King is always hope and never despair.

Children of the King are intricately connected to the human condition, and as such, we are constantly faced with the internal struggle of battling our own sinful human nature. In addition to this, we also have to navigate through a world that is constantly deteriorating and consumed by death.

However, despite these challenges, the children of the King recognize that our existence extends beyond the physical realm, as we are united with Christ. Our perspective is not solely focused on the world, but rather, we look beyond it to connect with God.

We recognize and acknowledge the consequences of human sin in this present world. But we look beyond our fallen condition and embrace the immense power of the Father’s mercy and love. Consequently, the life of a child of the King is characterized by hope and optimism rather than despair. We live in anticipation of a meaningful and fulfilling life beyond death rather than simply waiting for our physical life to end.

As children of the King, we wait not for death, we for life (Barclay).

“We were saved in this attitude of hope. We did not receive all the benefits of our salvation at the moment of conversion. From the outset, we looked forward to full and final deliverance from sin, suffering, disease, and death. If we had already received these blessings, we wouldn’t be hoping for them. We only hope for what is in the future” (William MacDonald).

“We are to look forward not backward, upward not downward, outward not inward” (Edward Everett Hale).

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© Dr. H 2023

I want to be alone ∙

I want to be alone ∙

He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things. – Mark 6:34

Matthew 14:13-14

 13 Now when Jesus heard it, He withdrew from there in a boat, to a lonely place by Himself; and when the multitudes heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

 14 And when He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and felt compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Greta Garbo was perhaps most remembered for her famous quote: “I want to be alone.” It is derived from the 1932 Hollywood film Grand Hotel. In 2005, the American Film Institute voted it the 30th most memorable movie quote of all time.

She speaks these words, first pathetically to her maid and manager, “I want to be alone.” She then repeats herself as a plaintive cry, finally, as a futile declaration to a stranger, “I just want to be alone.”  

Garbo made a practice of shunning reporters, premieres, and fan mail during her career. According to an article in LIFE magazine in 1955, she clarified, “I never said, ‘I want to be alone.’”  “I only said, ‘I want to be let alone!’ There is all the difference.”

C.S. Bull made a portrait to promote Garbo’s film, Mata Hari. It became one of the most recognized “Garbo” images. Her hands frame her face, her hair beautifully pulled back, and her eyes looking slightly down. It epitomizes her image as being in her own world, distant, dignified, a true goddess in her solitude . . .  alone.

When challenging circumstances occur, some people want to be alone and regroup. In contrast, others want to find consolation with others. A disappointing and seemingly tragic event occurred at this point in the Gospel of Matthew. John the Baptist had been executed by Herod Antipas. Even though He knew it was destined to happen, for the Lord Jesus Christ, John’s death, humanly speaking, was a great loss. They were cousins, and no doubt knew each other growing up. Before John knew that the Lord Jesus Christ was the son of God, he was reluctant to baptize Him (Matthew 3:13-17).

Matthew 14:13 Now when Jesus heard it, He withdrew . . . to a remote area to be alone.

Matthew 14:13 when the crowds heard of this, they followed Him . . .

The Lord Jesus Christ, as the God-man, was undiminished deity and perfect humanity in one person. In this account, His humanity is clearly on display. Jesus frequently sought to be alone and pray (Matthew 14:23). Being alone with the Father was a time of reflection, comfort, guidance, and focus. “The day’s events . . . sent Jesus to find solace in communion with his Father” (Chouinard).

“Jesus spent a good deal of His time alone with God in prayer. He made this a practice not only to make requests of His Father, but even more to stay in close fellowship with Him and enjoy His company” (Stanley).

The multitudes did the next best thing; they sought to be in the presence of the one who could comfort them, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. As a result, the solitude that He was seeking eluded Him.

The narrative provides a rare glimpse of the emotions of the Lord Jesus Christ and what motivated His actions. He observed the plight of the multitude and recognized their determined efforts to be in His presence. They were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34).

He was moved with compassion. He had empathy “his heart was filled with pity,” which literally means “his insides were stirred up” (UBS).

This is intended as a teachable moment for the disciples and, through them, us. If we are to understand the person and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ and follow after him in service, “we must learn to see the ‘crowds’ through the eyes of Jesus and take personal responsibility for their needs” (Chouinard).

REFLECT & PRAY

The Lord Jesus Christ often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16). Recall that Jesus had no home of His own during His public ministry as Messiah. He had nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). To be alone; He had to withdraw from people.

Father it is so easy to put off having a special time with You. Please help me to reconfigure my thinking so that you are part of my daily routine.

INSIGHT

If the Lord Jesus Christ needed time alone to be a part with the Father, how much more does each child of the King?

These periods of being alone with the Father to pray and meditate on the Scripture have come to be called quiet times. Following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are to withdraw from the busyness and clutter of the world to a secluded spot to have intimate communion with the Father. Such a spot should be comfortable and without distractions. We do not have to go anywhere to do this. We set aside a place where we live, wherever we can be uninterrupted. What is ideal is a solitary, silent location where there would be no interruptions from family members, media, or cell phones.

This is where we meet with the Father one-on-one. Often, the Father provides guidance and direction for what lies ahead. Typically, it involves reading a portion of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.  The length of the quiet time is flexible. But we should allow ourselves enough time to meditate on what we read and pray about it, along with anything else that comes to mind. Many of us have daily routines that we follow when we wake up in the morning. Our quiet time with the Father becomes one more component of our daily morning activities.

Do not expect to have instant, mature, quiet times or results. Like any relationship and effort worth doing, it takes repetition and practice. But once it becomes a regular habit, and we experience the delight of “face time” with the Father, it becomes something we eagerly look forward to. If we are too busy to spend time alone with the Father, we are too busy! We need to consider revising our priorities and scheduling. 

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© Dr. H 2023

What do you have that you did not receive? ∙

What do you have that you did not receive? ∙

What do you have that God hasn’t given you? – 1 Corinthians 4:7

1 Corinthians 4:1-7

 1 So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries.

 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.

 3 As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.

 4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

 5 So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time – before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

 6 Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I’ve been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won’t be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another.

 7 For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results” (Andrew Carnegie). “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success” (Henry Ford).

To achieve success, it is essential to have team players who possess exceptional teamwork skills. A true team player prioritizes the accomplishment of their group over their individual achievement. They recognize that their team’s victory coincides with their own success. They exhibit the utmost dedication and commitment to the shared goal.

The value of teamwork is ingrained in the psyche of team players, and they strive to foster a supportive and collaborative environment that brings out the best in everyone. A team player is selfless and willing to put the team’s needs before their own.

This attitude is particularly evident in team sports such as football, hockey, soccer, and basketball, where players understand the significance of collaborating with one another to achieve a common objective. They recognize receiving feedback and constructive criticism as crucial for success. Through their steadfast commitment and unwavering dedication, team players can help their team accomplish feats that seem unattainable on their own.

To achieve the Father’s kingdom goals on earth requires teamwork. The Father has chosen to use groups or teams of children of the King to accomplish His purposes. Team players with strong teamwork skills are needed to make this happen.

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work” (Vince Lombardi). The same is true of the church.

In the Father’s kingdom, team players are genuinely committed to the task that the Father assigned to them and to one another (Ephesians 4:16).

Paul was a great team player as well as a team builder. He did not talk down to others. He could put himself in their place and share their feelings and emotions. His purpose was to fulfill the Father’s game plan: to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). He shared the gospel and grounded children of the King in the faith.

Paul was always at work, bringing people into a closer relationship with the living God. Paul exhorted and coached others. He primarily provided information rather than condemnation. But when necessary, he was willing to confront. “Paul had a wonderfully courteous way of including himself in his own warnings and his own condemnations” (Barclay).

REFLECT & PRAY

“All gifts and advantages come from God. They are special graces from God. We do not earn or deserve them. An understanding of the grace of God puts an end to pride” (Richison).

Father I recognize that all I have and all I am is a sheer gracious gift from You. Foster within me an attitude of gratitude.

INSIGHT

1 Corinthians 4:7 For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?

“Paul now asks pithy, pointed questions to puncture their bubble of spiritual pride. ‘For who makes you differ from another?’  Paul attacks the spiritual pride of the Corinthian church by asking them who gave them the right of superior judgment over others. No one gave these people the right to judge others. The Greek answers the question – ‘no one.’ They had no right to consider themselves superior to others. They claimed this so-called ‘right’ but got it from themselves. Paul sarcastically punches a hole in their claim of superiority over others. ‘And what do you have that you did not receive? And what do you have that you did not receive?’” (Richardson).

Being puffed up and arrogant have no place in the Father’s kingdom or on the Father’s team. Paul confronts the Corinthians regarding their perceived special status. Paul “punctures their inflated view of themselves with a series of questions: Who? What? Why?” (Garland).

1 Corinthians 4:7 can be translated in various ways.

For who makes you different from anyone else? (NIV)

Who regards you as superior? (NAS)

For who makes you so superior? (HCSB)

For who sees anything different in you? (ESV)

Who defines you? (Thiselton)

The sentence has two parts. The first part is the answer to the question, Who is responsible? This, in turn, has two answers. One is correct, the other not so much.

Ultimately, the Father is responsible. He has decided. Each child of the King is different from everyone else, and He endowed them with specific unique characteristics, abilities, talents, appearance, and the like. He defined them!

Yet, on the other hand, many Corinthians self-identify as superior. They were filled with arrogance and pride.

Why would they think of themselves in this way? What could possibly make them superior or unique? Paul’s answer is their distinguishing attributes, features, strengths, virtues, etc.

None of these factors are things that they have done for themselves. Instead, everything they have; they have received from the Father. How can they possibly boast about something that was given to them as a free gift of pure grace? “Nothing is inherently theirs, so they cannot be arrogant and boastful” (Marshall). “All is of grace; nothing is deserved, nothing earned” (Fee). That is Paul’s point.

All children of the King are very special to Him. The Father is the source of their life and forgiveness in Christ. But that does not make them superior to others. The Corinthians are guilty of being presumptuous and ungrateful. “For them to be puffed up one against another effectively denies that God is the one who has given them all things” (Garland).

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime” [Babe Ruth].

“In an ultimate sense, human arrogance makes very little sense because we never accomplish anything except by using the gifts, talent, energy, inspiration – and even breath – that God gives to us” (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2023

Being Woke

Being Woke

Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light. – Ephesians 5:14

1 Thessalonians 5:2-8

 2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.

 4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.

 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.

 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

What is the origin and meaning of the term woke? The word woke has an intriguing entomology. Initially, in the 19th century, it was simply the past tense of “wake,” meaning to be awake or no longer asleep. In the 1930s, some African Americans in the US began using the phrase “stay woke” in their everyday language. In African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), “woke” is used instead of the usual past participle form of “wake,” which is “woken.”

The figurative use of “woke” as an adjective originated in 1962 when novelist William Melvin Kelley used it in a New York Times article titled “If You’re Woke You Dig It.” In the article, Kelley examined the constantly shifting street slang used in urban African-American communities and defined “woke” as well-informed and up-to-date. In other words, they are painfully aware and in the know.

Over time, the focus of being woke shifted to include sensitivity to and awareness of racism and discrimination, as well as other issues of social equality. Today, “woke” is often used as a catch-all term to describe left-wing ideologies centered on the identity politics of minority groups and informed by academic and social justice movements. The term is used by both the left and right sides of the political spectrum to support their agendas.

Being Woke is not the exclusive domain of the 21st-century political arena. It started in the 1st century AD when the children of the King were exhorted to shake off the lifelessness of their past ways and arise from the deadness of their former lifestyles.

Ephesians 5:14 Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.

The Greek word translated as awake is egeiro. Egeiro meansto waken, to rise up. It is commonly used when rousing people from sleep (Matthew 8:25; Mark 5:41, and Acts 12:7). Egeiro wasalso used to arouse people from spiritual dullness, lethargy, and indifference (Ephesians 5:14).

The Greek verb translated as sleeper is katheudo. Katheudo commonly refers to being physically asleep. It also connotes an attitude of spiritual laziness or indifference. That is, being indolent, inattentive, and unconcerned about sin.

1 Thessalonians 5:6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

The contextual background in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-8 indicates that some believers in Thessalonica had become lulled into spiritual sluggishness and were no longer spiritually acute but dull and lethargic. The Day of the Lord is coming, and they need to be on the alert (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

If they resisted, they ran the risk of descending further down the slippery slope of spiritual darkness and sin.

Hebrews 5:11-13

 11 We would like to say much more about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you the basics of God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.

REFLECT & PRAY

“When you’re physically asleep, it means you’re unconscious of physical realities . . .. To be spiritually asleep means you’re unconscious of spiritual realities” (Keller).

Father, keep me alert about what is happening in the world around me and laser-focused on accomplishing the assignment that You have for me.

INSIGHT

“As ‘sleepers,’ they possibly did not even realize their spiritual indifference. This is an interesting metaphor since most sleep is done in darkness. They were sleeping in the unfruitful works of darkness” (Hoehner).

Children of the King at Thessalonica were off course. Rather than living as children of light, they engaged in acts of darkness. They were unaware of the events unfolding in their world. To make matters worse, although the Father was always at work, they were ignorant and disconnected from what He was doing. They needed to open the eyes of their hearts, become alert to their circumstances, and be renewed. Paul issued a wake-up call to correct the situation.

It is incumbent upon every child of the King to be alert to the size of the time and understand what they are to do.

1 Chronicles 12:32 The sons of Issachar understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.

John Wooden is regarded as one of the greatest college basketball coaches ever, if not the GOAT. He led the UCLA Bruins to ten NCAA Basketball Championships in a 12-year period, including an unprecedented seven consecutive championships from 1967 to 1973. His teams also won 88 straight games, a record that still stands in the 21st century.

In addition to his impressive record of championships and winning streaks, Wooden is also renowned for his coaching philosophy. Wooden considered alertness to be an essential characteristic of success. He defined alertness as “be observing constantly. Stay open-minded. And be eager to learn and improve.” He said, “We must be alert and alive and be observing constantly, seeing the things that are going on around us. . .. We must not get lost in our own narrow tunnel vision and selfish ways.”

John 9:4 We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

We are on a collision course with the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Children of the King should be kept from being caught unawares. We are to be watchful, sober, and ready.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-8

 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.

 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

Wake up and BE WOKE.

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© Dr. H 2023

The course of temptation ∙

The course of temptation ∙

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. – James 1:14

James 1:13-16

 13 Let no one say when he is tempted: “My temptation comes from God.” For God himself is untemptable by evil and tempts no one.

 14 But temptation comes to each one, because he is lured on and seduced by his own desire.

 15 Then, when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full-grown, it gives birth to death.

 16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters.

The history of temptation and sin began in the garden of Eden. Have you ever wondered how the process of temptation works? C. S. Lewis used his imagination and visualized and explained the art and science of temptation. In The Screwtape Letters, chapter 9, Screwtape, an experienced master demon, mentors his apprentice Wormwood. Screwtape’s advice is as follows:

Start with some pleasure – if possible, one of God’s good pleasures – and offer it in a way God has forbidden. Once the person bites, give less of it while enticing him to want more. Provide “an ever-increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure” until finally we “get the man’s soul and give him nothing in return.”

A temptation is an opportunity to accomplish a good thing in a wrong way, out of the will of God (Wiersbe). The world is filled with temptation. The Father warned Cain, and the warning applies to us all.

Genesis 4:7 Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.

Here sin is likened to a beast that is hungering and intent upon (TWOT). Sin is seeking to subdue and devour Cain.

Temptation is possible because of our own human weaknesses. All temptations are merely suggestions for satisfying our selfish desires. These desires fall into one of three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.

Temptation is the desire to place our selfish wants and yearnings before our desire to please the Father. Our uncontrolled desires trap us. Yielding creates an inexorable downward spiral from desire to sin to death.

Each of us is born with a desire for some wrong thing. And, if we deliberately encourage and nourish that desire, it will grow and become stronger and more powerful. Inevitably it will result in sin – and that is the way to death.

REFLECT & PRAY

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us:

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him.

His rage we can endure, for lo! His doom is sure,

one can little word shall fell him (Luther).

Father temptation is in everyday reality. It is so easy to succumb. Strengthen me to be more alert and aware. Give me wisdom in each circumstance to know how to resist it.

INSIGHT

The Father is pure, good, holy, and above temptation. He is not the source of temptation. Temptation is evil; there is no evil in Him.

Humans have the innate propensity to blame others for their problems. In the story of the Fall, Adam blamed his wife and the Father for giving Eve to him, Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent did not have a leg to stand on (Lutzer).

James urges us to take personal responsibility for sin and resist it. We are not to fall into the traps meekly and snares the enemy has laid out.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape so that you may be able to endure it.

It is not the Father’s desire for us to yield to temptation, but He does not spare us the experience of temptation. The Father does not shield us from the vicissitudes and hardships of life. Instead, we must learn to handle and overcome tests and temptations to grow and mature.

How can we escape?

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

The Lord Jesus Christ was tempted and overcame it. In the wilderness, He was tempted by the enemy. He successfully resisted him. How did He manage it? The Lord Jesus Christ had internalized the Word of God. He depended completely upon the Father for strength, endurance, and wisdom. With each challenge regarding the desire of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and self-aggrandizement and pride of life, He responded by quoting the Word of God.

The Father has made us a magnificent promise. By observing the conduct of Jesus Christ, we can learn from His example and emulate it. When faced with temptation, we must recognize it for what it is and resist it. Our ability to identify, confront, and overcome temptation will increase as we practice what He has told us to do.

James 4:7 Submit to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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© Dr. H 2023