“Who is wise and understanding among you?” (James 3:13).

If I were the one to whom the Apostle James was asking this question, I would hesitate to raise my hand. The question is really convicting for me. I want to be wise, but do I dare to think I am? What is wisdom anyway? Is it someone who always has a pithy comment to make, who always says the right thing at the right time? Is it someone who is seasoned with experience?

The Book of Proverbs is known as the Book of Wisdom. Solomon wrote it “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair…” (Proverbs 1:2-3). Solomon wrote these words of wisdom, or borrowed them in some cases, earlier in his career. From a study of Solomon, we can deduce that just knowing words of wisdom will not make one wise, because Solomon did not heed many of his own words of wisdom. He made many mistakes, especially later in his career because he did not heed his own teaching.

I imagine that you, like me, want to know the right way to speak and act with our spouses, children, and those that we work with and for here at Nashville Rescue Mission. The next few devotionals will be devoted to this concept of wisdom.

For now, we will try for a simple way to understand what wisdom is so that we can be more alert to its use and misuse. Sometimes the best way to understand a concept is to explore its opposite: in this case, foolishness. What does the Bible say about foolishness or folly as contrasted with wisdom?

A foolish person despises God; he rejects God’s Word and pays the moral consequences for not fearing God.

• “The fool says in his heart, there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Foolish people do not listen to others because they love to hear themselves talk.

• “The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly (Proverbs 15:2).
• “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions” (Proverbs 18:2).

A foolish person demonstrates a lack of self-control displayed in words of temper.

• “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult… The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:16, 18).
• “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly” Proverbs 14:29).

A foolish person has an attitude that they have all the answers.

• “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).
• “To answer before listening— that is folly and shame” (Proverbs 18:13).
• “Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them” (Proverbs 26:12).

Ponder these descriptions and make some observations based on these standards. Remember, God alone is the righteous standard for what is wisdom and foolishness, and he ensures that we have access to this standard through the Holy Scriptures.

A foolish person delights in doing evil. But “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men….” (Proverbs 2:14).

In Christ,

Judy

“In his right hand he held seven stars” (Revelation 1:16).

Can anything be more personal than holding or being held in someone’s hands? I used to sit with my grandmother in church and I loved to hold her hand, rubbing the wrinkled back and squeezing her fingers. Is there anything more precious than having a child place their hands in yours? It is such a gesture of love and trust.

The opening passage is from Revelation, first chapter, where John is describing the vision of Christ. He writes in verses 12-16: “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”

The seven stars are the representatives of the seven churches, possibly angels or church leaders. The point is that he is holding them in his right hand; in all his majesty and power, he is holding the representatives of the churches—in other words—all believers—in his right hand.

There are many ways that God could choose to lead, guide, direct, and protect us. In His sovereignty, he can do anything anyway that he chooses. That he chooses to do so in such a loving personal way tells me how much he values me.

The book of Genesis tells us that God spoke the world into existence, including the earth, sky, sun/moon/stars, plants, and animals. However, when he decided to create man, “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man because a living being (Genesis 2:7).

David wrote in Psalm 139:9-10 “…if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

And Jesus reassured us in John 10:28-29 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Take some time today to rest in that fact. God has you in His loving hands and He will keep you there, no matter what.

In Christ,

Judy

P.S.: If you would like to talk more about any of these devotions or matters that concern you, please stop by my office, or call or text me at 615-804-3453 to arrange a time, and I will be happy to speak with you.

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Our God is unique in that He demands our 100% devoted, undivided affection. Every other “god” (if there is even truly such a thing), is dedicated to certain aspects of life. There were many Greek and Roman “gods,” one for everything of importance to those people (war, wine, agriculture, etc.). Many of the pagan nations of the Old Testament were happy to acknowledge our God; they just added Him to the pantheon of their Baals and Ashtoreths. And of course, in our day we are inclined to make idols or gods of many different things, all at the same time.

The problem is it just does not work that way. Just because we make something a “god” does not mean that it has true power or even our best interests at heart. Think about it this way: Can you really trust a god that only has the power that you give it over your life? The one true God created us with a desire to worship, and He created us with a will to choose. The One True God makes it clear that when we choose to worship or serve any other god, it is the same as rejecting, or failing to choose, Him. Jesus also emphasizes this when he says, “Whoever is not with me is against me….” (Matthew 12:30).

This principle is why God includes the prohibition of adultery as one of the Ten Commandments. To “love” or to seek another at any level when one has entered in marriage vows with our spouse is adultery. It is unfaithfulness. In marriage, we promise to cling to each other. You cannot cling to two different things, or you will be stretched in two compromising both sides. You cannot grab onto one thing without letting go of another. This is why God uses marriage to represent our relationship with Himself. This is why we call the Church the Bride of Christ.

I love the language of “choose for yourselves this day.” I used to believe that it meant a once-for-all decision, and it does at the most fundamental level. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, he promises to never let us go. We are eternally secure. But “this day” also means today. We must continually choose to be faithful—in every thought, in every word, in every deed. Faithfulness is a moment-by-moment decision to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength.

As humans, we will never be perfectly faithful; however, when we continually compromise our faith with our idols of the heart, our hearts can become hardened. Let this be our daily prayer “Search me O God and know my heart…see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:3-4). And let us be thankful for God’s grace and mercy and repent when we fall short: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

In Christ,

Judy

“You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you” (Joshua 23:3-5).

The devotional last week related how God precisely allotted as a personal inheritance to the Israelites all the land between the Jordan and Mediterranean Sea. God himself drove out the inhabitants so that the Israelites could take possession of the Promised Land. But now what? What are the Israelites to do? Just because they have been given this land does not mean that they do not have responsibility. The precedent was set in the Garden of Eden. God planted the garden, and he created and placed Adam and Eve in it, and God gave them two responsibilities: 1. To increase and multiply (I don’t think I need to explain that one), and 2. To work the garden and take care of it.

Now that the Israelites are settled in the Promised Land, they also continue to have some responsibilities:

1. Remember.
2. Take possession.

Sadly, what we see in the book of Judges is their utter failure to do either:

1. They did not remember. “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10).
2. They did not take possession. “The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods” (Judges 2:5-6).

Do you see parallels between then and now? I certainly do. God called the Israelites to be holy, set apart, based on their religion, their worship of the one true God. And Peter reiterates this calling in the New Testament.

• “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2).
• “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 20:7).
• “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” (Leviticus 20:26).
• “…Since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:16).

Instead, the Israelites slowly assimilated into the surrounding culture until they were intermarried and you could not even tell them apart from the non-Israelites. We in our own day and age have a fervent desire to fit in, to belong, so we compromise. And we rationalize about our compromising. And before long, no one can tell a Christian from a non-Christian. And worse, Christianity is “put-down” because it does look like the surrounding culture. I am guilty.

As believers, we know what to do. We must steep ourselves in the Word of God so that we remember all the good things that God has done for us. We must steep ourselves in the Word of God so that we know what true wisdom is and how we should obey. We must pray to the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. We must confess our sins and repent. Confession is not repentance. True repentance is turning away from our sin and back to God.

The real story of Judges, and of our time, is the love of God, the patience of God. It is true that his patience will one day end. In Judges, we see that “In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them” (Judges 2:14). In the book of Romans, we see Paul preaching “The wrath of god is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth,” and many times he refers to God “giving them over to their sinful desires” (Romans 1:18:32).

But when you really stop to think about this, we must wonder with awe why he has not taken this action already. Why, when we read all the stories of unfaithfulness, didn’t God just take them out and start all over. Why hasn’t he given up on us? In Deuteronomy, he promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. Why have we not experienced the curse? In fact, why did he even tell us all these stories about failures?

It is because in God’s gracious love for us, he desires to keep his promises to us. He wants to save us from our sins. He gives us ample warnings. And He, in his ultimate grace and mercy, constructed a way to uphold His righteous justice along with his unending grace by giving us his son Jesus to serve as the perfect role model of obedience, then to serve as the final perfect sacrifice for all our sins, and finally then to show us eternal life through his resurrection.

One of the ways God shows his great love for us is through his patience. Let us not overlook this great gift. Let us not delay. “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whole land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

In Christ,

Judy

P.S.: If you would like to talk more about any of these devotions or matters that concern you, please stop by my office, or call or text me at 615-804-3453 to arrange a time, and I will be happy to speak with you.

“Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel allotted to them. Their inheritances were assigned by lot to the nine-and-a-half tribes, as the Lord had commanded through Moses” (Joshua 14:1-2).

What follows this passage and continuing through chapter 21 is some of the most boring Scripture in the Bible. It is a detailed land survey. Check it out. Trust me, you will only need to read a few verses to get the drift, if you can stay awake. That is, unless this is your inheritance! If you were being given land as had been promised to you by covenant or will or testament, you would be intensely interested in the details. And you would appreciate the care and deliberateness and intentionality taken by the giver in his description. Right? If you have ever purchased property, you probably walked the boundary line and wanted to be sure where yours ended and your neighbors started, if only so that you would be cutting your own grass, etc.

But, when you read this passage from the standpoint of the Israelites who have been enslaved for 430 years, then wandering for another forty in the wilderness, you realize how joyous they must be to be able to say, “This is mine!” How thankful you would be to realize that God has kept the promise He made to Abraham and to Moses about bringing His people into their Promised Land. This is not just property; it is their inheritance. “So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (Joshua 21:43-45).

Eight chapters. Doesn’t that seem like a lot to devote to this one period? There is a reason for every passage in the Bible. This tangible evidence of God keeping his promises in very personal detail is extremely important. It sets the stage for an even greater fulfillment.

Jeremiah prophesies “’The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,’^’ declares the Lord. ‘This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, “Know the Lord,” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’” (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

It may be more challenging to accept this inheritance because it seems to be more intangible than land. But make no mistake, when God promises us eternity in the New Heaven and New Earth, this is even better and more tangible than the land. We should be even more delighted to receive this promise, and even more willing to believe God’s promise.

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant” (Hebrews 9:15).

In Christ,

Judy

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).

This scripture indicates an intention—to set. It also indicates a direction—above, not earthly. And this intentional direction is a mindset. I like this quote from RightNow Media: “A mindset is a specific way of thinking that is set before we act, which can directly impact the outcome of our actions. Stay intentional by aligning your mindset and actions in your day-to-day.”

Many seek the “spiritual” aspect of faith, desiring a spiritual “high,” and think that they are missing out when they do not “feel” the spirit. I used to be that way. I loved music that would really put me in the “spirit.” But what is that really? I am not trying to discredit it, but I want to put it into its proper place, because walking with Jesus is more about The Pilgrim’s Progress than flying above the clouds. Hear me well, that does not mean that we should live a life absent the Holy Spirit. In fact, quite the opposite—we cannot live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit.

We cannot live a life without being grounded daily in the Holy Spirit. So, when you are struggling to care, to love, to be other-focused, to be joyful, then know that you are where you should be. It is just a perspective that is off. Yes, the struggle is real, and that is how you know that you are in the spiritual battle and that you need the Holy Spirit to survive, thrive, and succeed. It is really a matter of perspective.

Daniel is a good example. Daniel was of the Jewish nobility, deported as a teenager to Babylon, which was a pagan empire ruled by a ruthless king, Nebuchadnezzar. But Daniel was taken to the king’s court and offered all kinds of royal resources with the intention of converting him to the King’s service. Daniel would have it made. He could have easily allowed himself to assimilate into the Babylonian culture, to go with the flow. But Daniel did not. He resolved, or “set his mind.” How was he able to take this stand, to defy the easy way out?

1. Inclination/Desire: We first must have an inclination or desire in our heart to do the right thing. I give some credit to Daniel’s upbringing, because he could not have been prepared for the temptations of court life unless he had been brought up in a Godly home. I believe his parents must have been faithful to the Law. “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Those of us who grew up in Christian families are the most privileged. Those of you who raise your own families in a Christian household are to be praised. But if you did not have that benefit, and even if you did, all of us can cultivate Godly desire by staying in the Word—reading our Bible, sitting under good preaching, and praying to God to strengthen this Godly desire of our heart.
2. Intention, resolve. “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself…” (Daniel 1:8). Paul said, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). These men were intentional. They woke up knowing what their objectives were. They went to bed knowing what their objectives were for the next day, week, month, lifetime.
3. Knowledge/Direction. It is important to have a godly desire and to be intentional, but we must be heading in the right direction. Steven Covey says, “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.” How do we ensure we are heading in the right direction? James gives us the source of all wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
4. Step by step. How do we move forward once we have the desire, intention, and direction? Step by step. I just watched the Summer Olympics. Gymnastics is so dramatic; swimming or running lap after lap—not so dramatic. But equally important. How can you get more power and speed per stroke or stride? After observing Katie Ledecky in the Olympics, I read where it is not unusual for competitive swimmers to swim fifty miles a week. That computes to an average of 115 laps per day! Even when too tired to practice, too sore to compete, too discouraged to keep on, they keep on swimming.
5. Courage. Assuming we have developed godly convictions through the steps above, when troubles come our way, we must stand firm. We have the same power in us that raised Jesus from the dead. “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” {Romans 8:11). The root word of courage is heart. So, when Jesus tells us to take heart, he is telling us to be courageous. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! (Be courageous!) I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend; the difficulty will not me offend. For I perceive the way to life lies here. Come, pluck up, heart; let’s neither faint nor fear. Better, though difficult, the right way to go, than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.” (The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan)

In Christ,

Judy

^“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” (Matthew 18:7).

I sincerely hope you will read this devotional in the context of the preceding four devotionals on temptations, trials, and testing. It makes sense regardless, but the message is so much more powerful in context.

The Greek word for stumbling block is “skándalon” which literally means the trigger of a trap or a means of causing one to stumble.

As believers, we never want to be the cause of someone else’s sin or falling away. I mostly teach adults now, but way back I taught children and young teens. I was very diligent as a teacher of these youngsters, taking to heart the following admonition: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6).

The little ones referred to in the above verse are not necessarily young in years; it really refers to baby Christians. As staff at Nashville Rescue Mission, immature Christians surround us; and we should understand the great responsibility we have as believers to model, mentor, and teach those we also serve.

But even when living in relationship with more mature Christians, we must be discerning about our conversation. Even when we mean well, we may very well be offering comfort when we should be challenging, challenging when we should be offering comfort, or advising something that sounds scriptural when it is not. In fact, Jesus used this word “stumbling block” when speaking to Peter because Peter objected to the suffering that Jesus told his disciples that he would soon experience. “Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:23).

Obviously, Peter meant well; but what he was saying was not biblical. A good example is what we like to say to someone who is going through a crisis: “God will never give you more than you can manage.” The problem is that this is obviously not true because we’ve all experienced overwhelming burdens. God never promised us that the Christian life would be free of suffering; in fact, He promised quite the opposite. The more accurate word of comfort is that “God will never give you more than He can manage.” And that subtle but meaningful change forces the believer to call on the Holy Spirit and to abide in Him, which is right where we all need to be. We must take extreme pains to avoid being a stumbling block or to stumbling ourselves. It is human nature to hear what we want to hear and say what we think others want to hear. “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” as Paul warned us in 2 Timothy 4:3.

If you take this seriously, you will be concerned, perhaps even terrified, as I am about getting it wrong. However, we can be comforted by these verses:

• “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (1 John 13:34-35).
• “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

God knows our hearts. We must make every effort to study God’s Word and pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance, as well as to obey the two great commandments to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and then to love your neighbor as yourself. Then we can “know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

“Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble:” (1 John 2:10).

Judy

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat” (Luke 22:31).

We can draw some conclusions from our past three devotionals about temptations, trials, and testing.

About temptation: Temptation is inevitable. It is not a sin to be tempted. From the time that man believed Satan’s first lie, sin entered the world. Satan became ruler of this world and is at war with God and man, using temptation as his weapon. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

But we have hope. Take to heart these words of Jesus: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John16:33).

Although it is not a sin to be tempted, it is a sin when we succumb to temptation. The Good News is that we have the promise of forgiveness for our sins when we confess. Jesus has already paid the penalty for our sin with his life; he has redeemed us from the grave. He is our Savior! Jude gives us this benediction (one of my favorite passages): “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25).

We can think about testing and trials a little differently. The simplest way is to think about the learning process, which includes absorbing the instruction, practicing or studying, and then having to pass a proficiency test. Some tests are designed to determine what you still need to learn; others may be to communicate an overall proficiency for the test group. Either way, testing is part of the learning process. We can see that it is an overall part of our discipleship process, the process of growing in sanctification, which occurs from the time of initial salvation until our final glorification.

Consider Peter. Can you imagine what Peter must have thought when Jesus told him: “’Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’” (Luke 22:31-24).

Jesus could have prevented Satan from this sifting. Instead, Jesus warned Peter about it and then promised that he would pray for him and restore him to a position of leadership. In other words, there was a divine purpose in allowing Peter to undergo this test. We know that Peter initially failed the test, because when put on the spot during Jesus’ trial, Peter lied about even knowing Jesus. However, Peter repented, and Jesus did restore him. Because of this testing, failure, repentance, and restoration, Peter was more fully equipped to become the man of God, Apostle of Jesus Christ, and leader of the Church.

As we see in the opening passage, Peter was not singled out. Satan has asked to sift all of us. He is after us. When God allows us to be sifted, he is using the sifting, which could take the form of temptation, as part of his divine plan to equip us for His divine purposes. When we view our lives in expectation of sifting, then we are more likely to see adversity as part of God’s plan rather than just feeling like we are being dumped on. When we see our life as a test, then we are ready to use these trials as opportunities to continually prepare ourselves, and to meet these tests and trials as challenges to be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4).

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Temptation vs. Testing

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…” (James 1:13).

The objective of temptation is to lead us to break God’s commandments, and therefore, to sin. Temptation can come from Satan (Ephesians 6:11, James 4:7), it can come from our own human nature (Romans 7:18, Galatians 5:19-21, James 1:14-15), and it can come from the world (2 Peter 1:4, Galatians 1:4, 1 John 2:15). While God uses trials and testing to help us to grow, temptation is quite different. God will never tempt us; he will never try to cause us to sin (James 1:13).

In all cases, the primary tool used by Satan in temptation is deception. For example, while in the Garden of Eden, Satan deceived Eve into a misunderstanding of God’s character and intention (“You will not certainly die.”) Satan deceived Eve, then she deceived Adam. We also say Adam should have known better, but he allowed himself to be deceived, either forgetting or choosing not to remember God’s instructions. It would seem like a small thing, but allowing deception is never a small thing. It is the first step into a potential fatal downhill slide.

King David gave into temptation when he seduced Bathsheba and then had her husband killed. This was not a test or trial; God would have not condoned either action. David had given in to the deception that as King he was above God’s law when it came to adultery and murder. When he was confronted by Nathan, he realized what he had done, and he admitted: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 20:13). Again, in Psalm 51:4, he cries out “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” It is worth noting that although David had to suffer the consequences of his sin, God forgave him and did not take away his throne.

Jesus is our best example of how to overcome temptation. Just as the objective of temptation is to deceive us into breaking God’s commandments; overcoming temptation is possible when we know and obey God’s Word. Just like we discussed in last week’s devotion, the Scriptures are our lens, or filter, for determining right and wrong. We must know the Scriptures. Then we will see deception for what it is. Not only that, with God’s Word comes the power to overcome, the way out of temptation. We can say, with Jesus: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Matthew 4:10; Deuteronomy 6:13).

The Apostle Paul himself had committed acts of violence including murder against Christians before his conversion. He knew the Scriptures as well as anyone, but he had allowed Satan to distort the message and to use him for his own evil purposes to stop the progress of Christianity. But God is more powerful than our sin. He rescued Saul (a/k/a Paul), and Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, began his ministry to spread the gospel to Gentiles throughout the known world. Paul acknowledged his struggles with sin, and he endured temptations, trials, and testing throughout his ministry. He encouraged us with his example, and his teaching, as in the following verses of which his life was his testimony.

We are all tempted. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But praise God our story does not have to stop there. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

We will be tempted. We should learn to expect it; anticipate it. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). These barbs, slings and arrows are the tools of Satan.

We will be tempted, and we should learn to prepare for it. We prepare by absorbing the Word of God. And when we fail, which as humans we certainly will do, then we confess our sins. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). God is so good!!!

Judy

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:6).

I will be honest: if you come to me with a crisis you are going through, the verse above is not what will come out of my mouth in an effort to provide comfort (although it should be, because it is biblical). In this passage, Peter is not explaining the reason behind the trials, nor is he giving them advice about how to escape. Instead, he is helping them to be ready for the inevitable. “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being soberminded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).

Let us go back to the Exodus. As Israel celebrated on the far shore of the Red Sea after their miraculous crossing, it seemed that everything was going their way. Yet no more than three days in, they found themselves with no drinking water, and it got worse from there. The frustrating thing is that they knew that their God, who had miraculously rescued them from the Egyptians, could have made their entire journey a smooth ride. “Why would the Lord do this to us?” they grumbled (Ex. 15:24). We can hardly criticize them because we ask the same question.

The better question to ask when trials, tests, and temptations come our way is: “Lord, what do you want me to learn from this?”  The Israelites learned about their lack of faith in God and their bent toward grumbling rather than gratitude. Testing trains us to see and be grateful for the Lord’s provision without taking Him for granted. It is one thing to say we are trusting God for our daily bread; it is quite another to testify that he provided all our needs while we wandered in the wilderness*.

In the next few devotionals, we will discuss more examples of trials, temptations, and testing found in the Scriptures and how we can learn to be more dependent on God and the power of His strength.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Judy

*from “Israel’s Testing in the Wilderness,” TABLETALK Magazine, August 2023.