1 Corinthians 10:13, No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Do we always have a choice? Can I always make the right decision, even in the worst circumstance? There are actually several differing interpretations and applications of this verse. The question is actually, “What was God communicating to us and the Corinthians of that day?
In a very precious hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” the author calls for the weary to turn their eyes to the Lord for hope in the darkness of life. Jesus is the only one of abundance and healing. When we face the Savior, our trouble in life diminishes and our hope grows. The material worries of life when we focus on the eternal future we have with God.
Satan sends many temptations to distract and discourage all of us. He pleads and recommends giving up as many ways as He can muster. He can’t steal it, so has to convince us to surrender it. God allows us to be tempted, not because He enjoys our struggle, but because only in the crucible of trial can we find the holiest aspects of genuine Christian faith. We are tried and tempted on a fairly regular basis. The question is just how much spiritual courage we have to not let go when it seems so much is begging us to do so.
God is well aware of our propensity for failure. It might seem, at times, that we are falling more than we are walking. When we face the accusations and lies of our tempter, we have to remember that we must learn to reject the false pictures of life which he gives us. We are all stronger than he wants us to know. I realize we want to keep our estimation of our strength tempered with sound Biblical understanding. We also want to remember we are able because of Who we follow. One of the reasons we get so overwhelmed is because we forget to focus on the cross, and we look at the waves instead. (Matthew 14:22-33) We are never told Biblically that life would be fair or easy. We are told that we will be blessed in our faith, and we truly are.
God understands the difficulty of a trial filled life. He has, therefore, provided a way of escape from the tempter’s lies and torments. Our first step in spiritual success is to reject the fatalistic views suggested by a lying and violent pestilence in Satan. Jesus used scripture when He was tempted. God’s Word can give us hope and answers to the problems we face. The best defense against the pain of a dark world is the salve of a loving Savior. Place your troubles in the hands of the only living Deliverer. Call out to the Lord and live your life for Him. Your reward will always be greater than any sacrifice we might find we make here. Whatever the obstacle is, it will pass. They always do. Only God lives eternally. I am so glad He loves us, even in our deepest struggle.
Walk softly and faithfully. Godspeed.