Tuesday 14 Mar 2017

March 14: 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:12
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Devotion:
Just as it is right for parents to point out bad things to their children and to stop them from being caught up in evil, it is right that we should be trying to do the same with ourselves. We do have the knowledge about what is good and bad and we are able to call upon the Holy Spirit to assist and guide us – so what excuse do we have for not doing exactly that? The more we give in to our carnal desires, the more they are strengthened through our indulgences. The more they are strengthened, the more we give in. Yet if we stop them when they first arise, we have a chance at getting them behind us, with God’s help!

We are certainly not the first to face the sins and temptations we do face. Throughout the bible we can see just how many people have faced evil and how man have given in to it. We can see how many have been tempted by so many different things, yet the ones who have depended on Christ have been able to rise above those temptations. The ones who have tried to go it alone have fallen... Take Peter when Christ told him to walk on the water. At first Peter's faith and trust was solely focused on Christ and he was able to get out of the boat. Yet as soon as he lost focus and gave in to his surroundings, he began to sink. But again, as soon as he called out to Christ for help, he was helped.

We are not going to be faced with unique temptations that nobody else has faced before. Each of our temptations are listed in the examples of people before us. Everything we have seen and heard can be used as examples so we do not have to go through what they have been through – yet so many times we choose to go right on ahead and see if we can face them when others have failed. Why can we not simply trust? Why can we not simple obey? God has already given each one of us a way out of the temptations that we face – all we need do is call upon His name and trust in His Word.

Points to Ponder:
Do you follow your friends into trouble all the time?

Who do you call to when you face trouble?