Good Morning Friends,
Cats are more interesting than dogs. No matter what a cat has done wrong, they always try to make it look like the dog did it. Maybe that is why a dog’s tail is between his legs and a cat’s up in the air. It seems that cats know no guilt and always seek to claim power with a sense of aloofness. They think they are gods. And dogs on the other hand are falling all over it with a sort of innocence that is interested in everything. They for sure get into trouble but when they do, they are repentant more often than not, thinking their owners are gods for providing for them. There is a message here in understanding our own anxieties and whether they are healthy or not. There is a message here about the devilish temptation of playing God like a cat and the effects of being drawn to everything like a dog. Maybe that saying that curiosity killed the cat is more about us being attracted to sin than we would like to think. But perhaps there is a balance between the two where God’s love never ends and provides a better alternative than the sin we might desire…Here in our affliction and waiting, there is hope, and with each new day… new mercies. Here we embrace a process of spiritual discernment… when our very souls reflect on prayers answered and prayers to be prayed wondering: Do We Understand What It Takes To Be Saved From Temptation?
Scripture: Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved. Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
James 1:12-18 (NRSV)
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” They said to one another, “It is because we have no bread.” And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?” And they said to him, “Seven.” Then he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
Mark 8:14-21 (NRSV)
Message: Ok we are going to be tempted. But evil only has so much power over us as we allow it to have. Still eventually we will be desirous of something that is not good for us. It is a battle about power and the only tipping point for good is God’s steadfast love…. His unending faithfulness is everything. Here on the precipice, we have a better view but there is danger…a hidden danger when we get too close to the edge. The problem is that we do not always see it. Then sometimes God’s faithfulness and love provides a way for us to say “no” to sin. Here at the cross our focus changes from the attractiveness of the temptation and the self-pity of our own situations to the reality that God’s faithfulness keeps us standing, breathing and alive. Here we realize that God’s faithfulness delivers us from temptations…. those desires for power. Here friends, the salvation of the Lord and His return is our hope. It is to this God that we must turn when we are facing temptation. Indeed, perhaps love instilled in us combined with the reality of justice is the only thing that can help us face the struggles of life and win the battle over temptation. Here the Holy Spirit’s love bears witness in our election and leads us away from temptation. This Holy Spirit love burns bright with a light that shines so that we see not fall over the temptations and sins of this world and over the edge into the pit. Friends, we are to think about the good things we have been given through Christ…His love, His purposes, His power and truth, His ability to overcome temptations. We are to imagine how Jesus’ return with justice and His love in us now might indeed affect our ability to avoid temptation today.
And So, unfortunately friends, the world is messed up and given the status of the situation any change requires God to act even in granting us faith and belief to make a commitment to at least in some small ways make a difference. The challenge then is with each of us accepting God’s grace and daring to be different. And a major part of that is understanding the miracle of Jesus and how He alters our thinking and being. We like disciples who need to believe differently and not be slow to trust. We are to venture into the world of faith understanding that Jesus is the only hope we have. We are not to forget the miracle of Christ calling us to His purpose. Our hope is in the new covenant of love in Christ. In that love we are to act and thereby avoid temptation. Temptation is something everybody faces, regardless of if they have been following Christ for decades or never at all. But there are a few practical things we can do to grow stronger and smarter in our struggle against sin. We can learn to overcome temptation by recognizing our tendency to sin and to flee from it, realizing that God will show us a way out if we are prepared to face the challenge and not give in.
Pray we resist temptation and not be distracted from the straight and narrow. Pray today that our lives be sustained…that our lives be redeemed…that our lives not be led into temptation. Pray that we not give into the temptation of discouragement. Pray that we not be tempted beyond what we can bear. Pray that when we go adrift in life’s storms, we find an anchor in our remembrance of God and the hope He provides. Pray that we experience His firm presence holding us secure. Pray that our confidence be in Him. Pray that we be consumed by His compassion for us. Pray that we rejoice in how great …great is His faithfulness. Pray we understand how faith responds to trials, temptations, and the truth. Pray we have patience in the midst of trials and temptations. Pray we realize that temptation is inevitable. Pray we follow the example of Christ when tempted. Pray we have the grace to not reject Jesus. Pray we obey the command to have an abiding love. Pray we realize it is a sin to try to do this alone. Pray we love an animal to awaken our soul and then learn to love something majestic, so we know that love is eternal. Pray we realize that there is no hope for any of us unless God wills it. Pray we live within the boundaries of behavior that follows God’s will. Pray we not overstep God’s desire for us. Pray that no matter how ungodly the environment we are in that God will find a way to be with us in the challenge of facing evil. Pray that our impulses and imagination lead us to glorify God and in so doing gives us a purpose worthy of the life we have been given. Pray we trust God more and obey God more and have faith in abundance. Pray we resist temptation with the truth in scripture. Pray we refocus our mind and heart on praising God. Pray that when we fall to temptations that we repent quickly.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 