Evil Desire

I would argue that in America it has become more and more common for us to avoid taking responsibility for our actions. If we try hard enough, we can always find someone else to blame for the bad things we do. Christians can fall into that trap too. We might blame our parents for raising us in an environment that has heightened our tendency to sin in certain areas. We may blame the devil for tempting us. And we may even go as far as to say that God is tempting us as some sort of a test. But James is clear when he says in chapter 1 verse 13-14:

"When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed."

Do you see how James kind of throws the responsibility back on us? He says that each one is tempted by his own evil desires. Believe me, I would like to blame someone else for my sin as well, but the truth is that when we fall into sin, there is really no one to blame but ourselves. And at no point should we ever consider blaming God. “God cannot be tempted, not does he tempt anyone”. We just need to be on guard when it comes to sin. And if we are tempted, then we are to stand in the face of it. I know, it doesn’t sound all that fun, does it?

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James tells us that God cannot be tempted, nor does he tempt anyone. He says that each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. I encourage you not to let your fleshly nature rule over you. The Holy Spirit can break any stronghold that Satan has on your life. Do you believe that he can?

Spiritual Trials

Some of you are going through serious spiritual trials right now. God can use trials like these to refine us and grow us. But in the midst of trials, often times we can’t see past the pain and struggle. If you are in the midst of a spiritual trial, I don’t want to make light of your situation, but I do pray that you look beyond the trail to see the heavenly ramifications of what you’re walking through. James 1:2-4 encourages us with these words:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Verse 12 goes on to say:

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised those who love him."

Trials of any kind can be difficult. But when there is a spiritual element to the trial – like being tempted to sin, struggling with the betrayal of a person of faith, or blaming God for something that is happening in your life, a whole new dimension of pain is introduced. So, if you are going through something, remember these portions of scripture. Stand the test, consider it pure joy, and realize that God may be using this situation to grow you and your faith if you’re able to let him.

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In the book of James, we find encouraging words for those going through a trial; I believe specifically those trials that have a spiritual element. The main message is to persevere. There isn’t a guarantee that things will develop the way you might hope, but there is a promise for those who are able to stand the test. James says that he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Strength In Weakness

When God is able to move through us in our weakness, we find that we rely on his strength to get us through, not our own. Actually, I believe – as Paul does - that it is when we are at our weakest that God can shine the most. It is in times of incredible difficulty, hardship and struggle, that we seem to stop trying to fix things in our own strength. We rely on God and trust him to take over. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardship, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

These verses are written right after Paul explains that God gave him a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming conceited. And in that weakness, he was able to let go and let God take over. You see, when we are weak, we somehow move out of the way and begin to put our total trust in God because we know that he is our only salvation from our dilemma. We are at our best when we are weak, because that is when God can move without us hindering his plan. And when the smoke clears, our pride is nonexistent, because we know that we were too weak to contribute anything to our deliverance. We learn that it truly is all God, all the time.

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Paul says that he is strongest when he is weak. That may seem like a contradiction, but it is when we are weak that we stop trying and pushing in our own strength. You may even be able to reflect in your own life that when things are at their worst, we stop whatever we are doing and cry out to God, because we know that our own efforts are useless. By crying out to God and trusting him, we are doing the very thing we should’ve been be doing all along. We operate in God’s strength and provision, not our own.

Abraham's Test

If you’ve been a believer for any length of time, you likely know the story of Abraham and how God tested him. God promised Abraham that beginning with his son, Isaac, he would birth a nation so numerous that it would be almost impossible to count. But when Isaac was still a boy, God told Abraham to sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Abraham obeyed, trusting God, even when it seemed as though God was breaking his promise through the sacrifice of Abraham’s son whom he loved greatly. As he was about to sacrifice the boy, in Genesis 22:12 an angel of the Lord says:

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Could this be a foreshadowing of what God would do for us through his son, his only son? I believe that it is. God tested Abraham and he passed the test through obedience over reason. Jesus was sent to die for our sins and he was obedient to God as well. It just makes me think, if God were to test me by asking me to sacrifice something I loved greatly, would I pass the test? Would you?

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When we read the story of Abraham and how God tested him by telling him to sacrifice his son, we have the benefit of knowing how it ends. And in some respects, I believe that Abraham did as well. He knew that God made a promise and that God would keep his promise. He didn’t know exactly how he would, but he knew that somehow Isaac would be used to birth a nation just as God had promised. And for that, God credited that act of faith, as righteousness. Likewise, we need to trust God over circumstance. God doesn’t lie. He keeps his promises. So even if our circumstances seem extreme, our faith needs to trump our reason because God can turn any situation into a blessing. Yes, I said it… any situation.

Seven Days

Today I challenge you to reflect on what God was able to accomplish in just seven short days. I’m referring to the creation of everything we know, see and understand. Our world, our universe and everything we know about anything in this existence was created in seven days – six if you don’t count the day he rested. Every law of physics and nature, every creature big and small, time and space as we know it, everything. I’m in the process of working my way through the bible again and as I reflect on Genesis 2 verse 2 and 3, I just wanted to pause for a moment. It says:

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

If God can make the entire universe and everything we know about anything in seven days, just think what heaven will be like. God created finite rules that govern nature, physics and time itself. He did such an amazing job that it is difficult to imagine anything beyond what we experience. But God is God. Just in the span of your lifetime, think about how many new and unique worlds God could’ve created. But it took him only seven days to make this one and when he did, he looked upon it and said it was good.

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If you’ve ever had an ant farm or a fish aquarium, you’ll get an idea of what it is like to see a handful of animals living in a finite reality. Well, that is what God did for us. This earth, this universe, is our playground for the time being. But there will come a day when those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior will be in heaven where we will have a new existence with a new set of rules that govern it. I hope to see you there.