Lately, when I wake up, I've been mentally asking God to put a thought into my head about what to read. Today, the word 'faithful' kept popping up, so I grabbed my Bible, looked in the index and settled on 1 Corinthians 10. Why? Simply because the 'clue' was God is faithful.
Of course, when I actually looked up the passage it said a little more...
So if you think you are standing firm, be careful you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it. [1 Cor10:10-12]
Hmm... so what did I take from it?
Well, firstly, we must be on our guard.
If we THINK we're standing firm... watch out! There are times when we're blinded by our own arrogance - we think we're doing okay thank you very much, we think we can handle anything We don't necessarily disregard God but we're sorted and this is a blind spot - wecan get caught out.
It's all been done before.
There ain't nothing new under the sun. Our temptations, longings, desires - have ALL been encountered before! Just when we thought we were the only person in the history of the Universe to feel/think/do this, we discover that our temptations are commonplace - someone, somewhere, some other time, already has the tee-shirt.
God is faithful.
Faithfulness seems to be a little out of fashion in our world. The press is littered with examples of faithlessness (is that a word, or did I make it up?). In all aspects of our life are we full of faith? In our work? In our relationships? In our day to day lives? God is!!! He even has faith in those who don't know Him... yet.
God doesn't let us struggle beyond our limitations.
I guess that will be different for everyone. Have you ever been in a situation when you feel as if you're at the end of your rope, clinging on for dear life and thinking you just can't do this, it's all too much? Yet somehow, you do. You don't know how or why but you do, you get through it, perhaps a bit more bruised and battered than before but you've made it. That's God. God CAN!
We will be tempted.
There's no mights or maybes... the Bble says... But WHEN you are tempted. It isn't an optionl extra. We must expect temptations, we made a mess of things back in Eden and living with Satan's tricks and temptations here on earth was part of the price.We need to be aware of our weaknesses, our Achilles' heel... it's most likely that these are the places we'll be attacked first.
God gives us a way out.
Now, there's a promise!!! When temptations happen, God, by his Holy Spirit, will give us a choice, an option, an escape route. Thing is, we need to ask Him, and then take notice and act. God is not a bully. We're His creation, not His puppets. It's a bit like those safety lanes on steep roads - it's a refuge for if your brakes (or your nerves) fail... but you have to steer off the main road and into them, then stop.
Okay, so a psalm-y thing, then (if I can get it to work) a brilliant song to inspire us!
Shalom x
God is faithful
In ways we cannot comprehend
He is listener
He is lover
He is helper
He is healer
Walk with Him
Talk with Him
God is faithful.
The way that you father me - sung by Eoghan Heaslip
http://youtu.be/B_cpSewZ9hs
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