James 1:2-8 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”  NKJV

Let me begin by asking, “How many of you have been tempted?”  “How many have been tempted in any area and failed or succumbed to the temptation?”  I’m sure everyone has, and when that resulted, you were probably flooded with guilt, or you shrugged it off, saying, ‘Well, I’m only human.’

TEMPTATION is something that every human being encounters.  It does not respect age, gender, position, or ethnicity.  There is nothing we can do to prevent temptation from attempting to rear its head, and that head is sometimes quite ugly.  It sometimes comes uninvited! 

Let me offer an illustration I have used for years about a teenager being left alone at home.  The car was in the driveway, and the keys were in a bowl on the kitchen counter.  Temptation!  The young man said, “Dad, while you were away, I came very close to breaking my promise that I would not drive the car.  You left the keys on the kitchen counter, and I even carried them in my pocket for three days fighting temptation.”  The father responded, “Son, there is nothing like a temptation to show you what you will do if given the opportunity.”  Temptation can be viewed from several perspectives, and we usually view it from only one, the negative.

TEMPTATION, from the devil’s perspective, is an opportunity to defeat the purpose of God.  Truthfully, he can only succeed in tempting us in those areas in which we have something in common.  In John 14:30, Jesus told the disciples that the devil was coming, but he had no claim on Jesus.  Jesus said to them that there was nothing in Him that belonged to the devil; therefore, the devil had no power over Jesus.

TEMPTATION, from man’s perspective, is a severe test and an attempt to destroy faith and commitment.  Man views it as a Bad Thing!  Man sees temptation only in the light of it, pulling and tugging at his own evil thoughts, bents, and wishes.  James 1:13-15 declares, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” 

TEMPTATION, from God’s perspective, is that it can be and often is a valuable and vital service in the lives of men.  It shows three things about us:  what we are, where we stand, and what we will be in the future.  Temptation is a factor in both the psychological and spiritual growth process that every human being must go through ‘IF’ they are to become mature individuals capable of living a full, meaningful, and victorious life.  In that light, Temptation’s real purpose is always to trigger a choice and provoke a definitive stand or action!  Consider the illustration of the teenager and the car keys again, if you will.

The keys presented a temptation that forced him to make a very difficult but vital decision.  He had to obey or disobey.  To disobey would be to commit an act of irresponsibility that would make it easier to do similar things in the future.  To obey would help create a pattern for mature and wise decisions in the future and make it easier to resist temptation and produce victory and liberty. 

Temptation is a dividing line between innocence and awareness.  Temptations come and Always present a lesson to be learned.  Our choices in temptation demonstrate whether the lesson has been learned or must be repeated, “The Wilderness Principle.”  How many times did Israel take another lap around the mountain?

For example, we teach children not to cross the street alone, but temptation comes into play the moment the child has the opportunity to disobey.  There is no one around to see, the street beckons and promises intriguing adventure.  The response to temptation will determine if the child can be trusted to play near the street or if more supervision and training are required.  Thus, how we face temptation affects every area of our personal life.

May the Lord help us to realize and learn the lessons rather than becoming stuck in an almost perpetual process of repeating or “making laps around the mountain.” 

God bless you richly as you face today with confidence and boldness in Jesus!

James 1:2-8 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”  NKJV

Another passage I suggest is 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”  I have learned and believe there are some clear promises in God’s word that we can expect as a part of our Spiritual Inheritance in Jesus.

            GUIDANCE ………  The Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truth. (John 16:13)

            INSTRUCTION …. The Holy Spirit will teach us God’s Truth.  (John 16:13)

            PROVISION ……… God will supply all our needs. (Philippians 4:19)

            COMFORT ……….  We will never be left comfortless. (John 14:18)

            DEFENSE ………    The Battle is not ours, but God’s. (2 Chronicles 20:15)

We are also told that when we do not know how to pray as we should, the Holy Spirit will make intercession for and through us.  God’s word informs us that people are defeated and destroyed because of a ‘lack of knowledge or ‘understanding.’  We have the incredible promise that IF we walk in the Light as He is the Light, we can ask what we will and expect an answer.  Please understand that I believe the Bible teaches that both the motive and request must be wholesome and pure.  If we ask anything According to His Will, the Bible informs us that It Is Done! Therefore, we need to know the following:

• THE WILL OF GOD.
• THE PRINCIPLES BY WHICH HE WORKS.
• WHAT GOD DESIRES TO DO IN US.

That is no small undertaking, and without His help, impossible!  One principle that affects us significantly in our walk and warfare and is often overlooked or completely misunderstood is Temptation.  I refer to it as the “Wilderness Principle,” and in that, we must become aware of the following:

• THE PURPOSE OR WORK OF TEMPTATION.
• HOW TO RECEIVE GOD’S PROMISES.
• HOW TO STAND STEADFAST DURING A PROBLEM.
• HOW TO ENTER INTO GOD’S PROVISIONS.

Again, no small undertaking and without God’s help, impossible!  The Bible teaches that God’s desire for us is conformity with the Person and Image of Christ Jesus our Lord.  He wants us to know, enjoy, and live what I would call full salvation and complete deliverance.  He wants us to enjoy His abundant provisions daily and walk in victory, pulling down strongholds continually. 

Life is a process that begins at birth, progresses through adolescence, and to fullness in adulthood.  Our Spiritual Life and Walk involves numerous tests and encounters that help develop our character and give us a mark, a barometer, and an identity point that enables us to recognize where we stand spiritually.

Hebrews 4:6 informs us, “My people perish for lack of knowledge….”  That is a powerful truth, for if we do not Know God’s Will, we cannot Do God’s Will.  If we do not understand what He is doing, we may resist and rebel when we should be resting and learning.  But, if we understand the Principles of God, we know what to look for and what to do.  Victory comes in understanding and obedience. 

Therefore, James’ exhortation to “…count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations….”  Honestly, that is not difficult. It is impossible Without some understanding of the Purpose of Temptation in our lives and the careful guidance and assistance of the Holy Spirit.

I dare not stop there but will pause in this devotional and pick up in the next more on Temptation’s Purpose and Function in the believer’s life.   

God bless you richly as you embark on this leg of Life’s Journey. 

2 Timothy 4:16-18 – “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also, I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”  NKJV

In life, everyone has battles, everyone, no exceptions!  Some attempt to deny the existence of those struggles, but they exist.  Some desire anonymity and privacy; they never confess their struggles or need for help from anyone and fight alone.  Some have a false sense of their importance and strength and believe they need no one, so they fight alone. 

In the spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, or political realms, fighting alone is a flawed philosophy that results in defeat or delayed victory.  It produces hurt, wounds, casualties, and difficulties that might have been avoided by being United with others of precious faith. 

I am cognizant of the importance of developing ability, courage, confidence, and trust in enduring struggles alone.  There are some battles no one can fight for us; although they can stand with us in prayer, the battle is ours!  David knew what it was like to stand alone or without human help as a shepherd.  He was responsible for defending the sheep with his life, if necessary, and he did as he defeated the lion and the bear. 

Those events inspired trust and confidence in his heart that God was the friend spoken of in Proverbs 18:24, who ‘sticks closer than a brother.’  Thus, when he faced his epic battle with Goliath, the Philistine champion, his words express the root of his confidence and awareness that he was Never Alone! 

When Goliath expressed anger over being disrespected by Israel for sending out a boy to fight him, David revealed the heart of a warrior who knew an inner secret many never know.  David said, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.” (1 Samuel 17:45-46).  David was alone, but he was not alone!

Elijah felt that intense aloneness after his battle with Jezebel and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and told the LORD, “I alone am left; and they seek my life.”  God chastened him and said, “Elijah, Elijah, Elijah, you forget who I am.  I have seven thousand in Israel, who have not bowed their knee to Baal, and they will stand with you.”  (Roy’s paraphrase).  

We need to remember that we are not alone, so stop being alone!  We are not invincible, so stop pretending to be. You are not superman or superwoman; you need others. 

Remember the counsel in Ecclesiastes 4 that two are better than one and that although one may be overpowered by another, two united can withstand. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.  When two horses pull in tandem, they get the strength of a third, invisible horse added to their efforts.  Yes, God is with us, but there are times when we need to open our hearts and allow others to join our struggle, and the multiplied power of unity brings victory.  In 2 Chronicles, when King Jehoshaphat and Israel were facing sure defeat, God told him not to be afraid because “the battle is not yours, but mine!” 

In America today, in the church, society, and government, there is a war raging that is destroying individuals, many of whom are trying to stand alone.  In life, we sometimes face potentially deadly diseases and err if we try to fight that fight alone.  The Bible tells us to Call for the Elders!  It did not say for the elders to seek us out but for us to open our hearts, acknowledge our needs, and request help! 

We need others to join their faith with us to fight the battle we are facing.  In spiritual matters, if we try to stand alone, we may be overcome by the enormity of the assault and become discouraged or even so fatigued that we give up and give in.  But, if we unite with others of like precious faith, we form a threefold cord where the one that is down is encouraged, the weak is strengthened, the feeble hands or lifted up, and together we win the fight. 

In America, we are dangerously divided to the point that even people of faith are at odds with each other.  Lasciviousness, selfishness, independence, and pride often prevent our willingness to Unite with others to combat the destructive plague.  

• When we fight a unified fight, someone must lead. Otherwise, there is chaos, but the ultimate head must be Christ. 
• When we fight a unified fight, we must keep our eyes on the true objective rather than succumb to personal preferences and desires. 
• When we fight a unified fight, we commit to the struggle to the end or death as America did in World War II, where we determined that it was Victory regardless of the cost, sacrifice, struggle, duration, or demand.

Standing alone makes one an easy target, and the stress of the battle will fatigue even the hardiest of souls.  Discouragement is often the key to defeat, but when united, one encourages another, and the courage of one becomes the courage of all.  We, as iron, sharpen iron; whereas individually, we have only so much strength, collectively, we have incredible power. 

That is emphasized in Deuteronomy 32, where one can chase a thousand, and two can put ten thousand to flight. Suppose you extrapolate that you discover that the threefold cord is enormous and the fourth man in the fire provides victorious strength.  You are not alone, so Stop Being Alone!  We are the Body of Christ and the United States of America. Hence, whether physically, emotionally, spiritually, or politically seek and receive the help and strength of others and, most importantly, the LORD.

God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

Psalm 46:1-3 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”  NKJV

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  NKJV

Stress can be a silent killer both in the natural and the spiritual.  I contend that more people probably suffer under the heavy burden of stress and pressure than in any other generation.  More people are dealing with physical, emotional, and spiritual disorders.  That is due to the unbelievably fast-paced pressure-packed way of living that is a common condition in our present world. 

Stress and pressure are two everyday companions of many people in the church and the world.  One of the funniest but almost too realistic for comfort children’s books I have ever seen is, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, Not Good, Very Bad Day.”

This little boy named Alexander was having one of those days.  Nothing went right, and he encounters back-to-back disappointments and tragedies beyond what any human should be expected to endure.  He moved from one predicament to another, and as the old saying goes, “He cannot win for losing.” 

When he woke up that morning, he said, “I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and not it is in my hair.  When I got out of bed this morning, I tripped on my skateboard and, by accident, dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running, and I could tell this was going to be a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day! 

After that horrible beginning, he endured a terrible day at school, an awful visit to the dentist, and a no-good stop at the shoe store.  Alexander slumped in his chair at the dinner table and realized his troubles were not over.  He hated Lima Beans, and what was on his plate?  Lima Beans! 

There was kissing on the T.V., and he hated kissing. His bath water was too hot, and he got soap in his eyes.  He was playing with a marble, and it went down the drain.  To add insult to injury, his mother laid out his railroad train pajamas, and he hated those pajamas.  When he went to bed, his brother, Nick, took back his pillow, and his Micky Mouse Night Light burned out. To make matters worse, he bit his tongue, and his cat wanted to sleep with another brother, not him.  He lamented, “It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!”   Have You Ever Had One of Those Days?

Days like that do not inspire us to venture into new realms.  They cause us to become hermits and hide from the rest of the world.  We have all had those days!  They create tension and cause us to become fretful and filled with anxiety.  Humans are very strange creatures.  We tend to run when we lose our way.  Instead of pausing to regroup and regain our sense of direction, we bounce off the walls going from place to place, Hurrying, Worrying, and Scurrying.   

In times like that, we must stop and allow the Holy Spirit to take complete control and bring order to our lives.  We need to discover that God is God!  He will be exalted!  He is with us!  He is our strong tower!  But victory does not always come overnight or instantly.  God often uses an infinite number of vehicles, tools, and pressures to help us grow.  There is no Instant growth, spiritually or naturally!

Stress results from taking more on us than God intended us to take.  We begin to assume the place of God and play God in the matter.  That is both a mistake and a sin.  I saw a survey and research report by Dr. Thomas H. Homes of Washington University in which he studied Measured Stress in terms of “Life Changing Units.” 

On his scale, the Death of a Spouse equaled 100 Units. Divorce produced 75 Units.  Pregnancy equaled 40 Unites and Remodeling a Home was 25 Units.  Christmas, according to Dr. Homes, was 12 Units.  The conclusion was that from a strictly human viewpoint, no person, in his own strength, could handle 300 or more Units in a Twelve-Month Period without suffering physically and emotionally for the next two years.

Each of us faces situations virtually every day with stress and Pressure.  That is a fact of life and not something that we can avoid.  If we become crippled by stress, we cannot be all God wants us to be.  We will not be a witness for Jesus if we are crammed into the Pressure Cooker of Stress that we cannot enjoy even the simplest pleasures of life. 

Unless we learn the Secrets of God regarding the cares of this life, we will become virtually useless for the Kingdom of God.  If not useless, we will become so hampered and restricted that we are highly ineffective.  We will not be able to Trust God, Help Others, and Enjoy the Abundance of Life that Jesus came to bring.  Philippians 4:6 advise us, “Be anxious for nothing….”  The converse is “Be content and at peace in everything.”

Psalm 46 gives us a beautiful picture of God’s Promise and the Place He desires for us, and we will delve into that in the next devotional, but for now, we pause, and I pray the peace of God upon each of you! 

God, bless you richly is my prayer and desire!

Exodus 12:12-13 – “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”  NKJV

As God prepared Israel for their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the one thing they had to do to be spared was take the “blood of the sacrificial lamb” and place it on the doorposts of their houses.  When the destroying angel came into the land and saw the BLOOD, the inhabitants would be spared; otherwise, Death would be the result. 

This was symbolic and pointed to the time when Christ, our sacrificial lamb, would offer up His innocent blood on the Cross for the sin of mankind.  In our reception of His sacrifice and grace, the Holy Spirit applies the Blood of the Lamb to our hearts, and we are spared from the plague of sin.  Only by the blood are we spared!  It is not by works, not earned, not deserved; it is “by grace, through faith” that we enter into the family and kingdom of God.  

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD!  The old gospel song says it perfectly:

            “What can wash away my sin?

             Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

            What can make me whole again?

            Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

             Oh! Precious is the flow.

            That makes me white as snow.

            No other fount I know,

            Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

The prophet Isaiah penned it perfectly in Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.   If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.”

Some in today’s Politically Correct faux tolerant world do not like the mention of The Blood.   They consider it too vile for polite society and seek to eliminate it from religious conversation.  Unfortunately for them, the Blood opens salvation’s door!  Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission, as declared by Paul in Hebrews 9:22.  Forgiveness is impossible without the Blood of Christ shed for sin.  He paid the divine penalty, and we have HOPE and LIFE through His sacrifice!

What can wash away my sin?  NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!   So today, if you have not received Him, I urge you to listen to the nudging of the Holy Spirit and allow God to apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of your heart.

May you walk in the rich blessings of the Father today and every day!