The Word To LIve By: 1-21-26
Phil Waggoner
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.
1 Corinthians 10:13
The Word To Live By: Is there a trap of the devil, a temptation (or trial, Amplified Translation) in your life that you can’t seem to shake? First of all, you’re not the Lone Ranger. Maybe not everyone suffers from not being able to overcome your particular temptation or trial, but it’s not uncommon for there to be someone else that is fighting it too. Second, if it’s common to man then it can be overcome. God will not allow it to be more than you can handle, even when you think you can’t take it anymore. Don’t quit trying, don’t quit praying, don’t quit doing what you can do to overcome it. I was thinking about this scripture the other day, “With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible,” (Matthew 19:26). Most Christians take the position of, “I know it’s possible for God, but the question is, will He?” That’s where living by faith comes in. In Matthew 8, a man with leprosy came to Jesus and said, “If you are willing, You can cleanse me!” Jesus said, “I am willing.” God wishes for all people to be saved and come into a knowledge of Him, (1 Timothy 2:4). That word, saved, is an all-encompassing word meaning delivered, protected, healed, preserved and whole - spirit, soul, and body. So, the will of God for you and me is to be delivered from whatever test, trial, or temptation that the devil throws at us. There is a way of escape. That way begins with you expecting to escape. I don’t care if it’s been there since birth, overcoming faith makes it temporary. If you know that there is an end to whatever you are faced with, then you can endure it until it’s gone. My wife and I drive from our house to Tulsa, Oklahoma, several times a year. If you drive the speed limit, it’s a six-hour and 45-minute drive. No matter how bored I get, I know that if I keep driving, there’s an end and knowing that keeps me going. We have learned through the years the best and fastest route. It requires several turns and changes of direction so I keep my eyes open for those ways to go, those ways of escaping the trip as soon as possible. God is saying in this scripture that if you keep your foot on the faith gas, there is an end. The lesson here is not to accept the test, trial, or tribulation that you are in as impossible to get through but to keep going, watching for the way of escape.
Read through the Bible in a year: Luke 16; Genesis 27:46-28:22; Psalms 21;
Read through the New Testament and Proverbs: Proverbs 19, Matthew 10:1-21, Acts 19:
The sum of Thy Word is Truth Psalm 119:160