Temptation
“Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.”
CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
It was a beautiful fall day in Manitoba. I wanted to spend some quality time horesebacking riding with my eldest, Heather. I had ridden horses lots as a boy; in fact I used to race my pony when I was a teenager. I was full of confidence.
My daughter mounted her horse and was waiting patiently for me to get aboard mine. The owner of the horses had warned me on another occasion that the horse I was about to mount sometimes acted up. No problem, I had experience. I was confident. I knew what I was doing.
I stuck my foot in the stirrup and threw my leg over the saddle. About that time Socks (which I discovered was an appropriate name) flew his head back, reared up on his two hind legs and before I knew what had happened I was laying flat on my back on the graveled drive.
I thought I was dead. I thought I was paralyzed. It took me 10 minutes to sit up and another 20 to get up. I finally made my way to to the car and drove to the hospital. I had parts of me that hurt I didn’t even know I had.
My church was very supportive, they said I shouldn’t have tried to put a wooden nickel in the K-mart pony.
Lesson: Too much confidence and too little caution can cause us to end up flat on our back.
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ” ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:1-11
- Temptation can come when we are earnestly seeking God.
- Saturating our lives with God’s Word is a great place to begin when seeking to resist temptation.
- Don’t allow Satan to twist God’s Word to fit your lifestyle. Adjust your life to line up with God’s Word.
- Sometimes you just have to tell Satan to “git”! That is not the person I am anymore and through the power of the Holy Spirit I choose to say no.
Exercise caution, don’t be cocky and say that will never happen to me. You might just end up flat on your back!
grace to you, bob
