Temptation

"There has no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL; He will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will with the temptation, make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it. " 2 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

"Remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. " 2 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

Temptation has been knocking on my door this week. When I am at home, surrounded by good food choices, it doesn't seem so bad. But there are so many times that I am faced with bad choices. The breakroom at work is always filled with junk food for the taking. Going out to eat for breakfast makes me feel nervous inside. Am I strong enough to pass up the hashbrowns I love and eat only the omelet on my plate? Gatherings at church almost always have an abundance of food. And every once in a while I'm just so hungry, I'm even tempted to keep eating the healthy stuff, even though I know I've already had enough. It's tiresome after a while. Exhausting really. If I was addicted to alcohol or drugs, I could avoid those entirely. But I still have to eat. I still have to make good choices all day long, and sometimes its overwhelming. Sometimes it's very lonely; surely I'm the only one going through this. Sometimes my heart gets rebellious and I just. don't. want. to.  (insert some good foot-stomping right there.)

When I was in high school, I went on a summer missions trip. Included in the trip was verse memorization. We were given a pack of cards, each containing a different scripture verse. There were 40 in all, and we were required to memorize one each day. At the end of the week we would review all that we had learned so far. We also did Bible quizzing, ensuring that those verses would stick in our heads. Oh how grateful I am for that summer! I've always been good at memorization, so it wasn't a struggle for me. I actually enjoyed it. But at the time I didn't realize how much of an impact that would have on my whole life. Those verses have never left me. God's Word says:

"I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your principles. I have recited aloud all the laws you have given us. I will delight in your principles and not forget your word." Psalm 119:11-13, 16 NLT

"For the Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are." Hebrews 4:12 NLT 

I am so thankful that God's Word is so powerful. That scripture I memorized 19 years ago has not left my heart. It's amazing to me that God shows his faithfulness in that way. Learning His Word does not produce nothing. If you take the time to do it, it will be there when you need it the most. For me personally, I have needed the above verses on temptation so much this week. There are several things that really stand out to me when I ponder that verse. 

We are not alone. There is no temptation that we face that hasn't been faced by others before. So even when we feel alone, it's not true. Many others have come before, and many will come behind us as well. I pray that God will deliver me fully from this temptation, so that I may help those that come behind me. Even Christ experienced the same temptations. According to Hebrews 4:14-16:

"That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will received his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. "

Wow! Take a moment to just let those words sink in. They are powerful! I am in awe of God's grace and mercy. How compassionate of God to send his Son to experience full humanity. Christ knows our struggles! He knows the temptations that we face. He faced them. He knows what gluttony is, he was tempted by it, and he did not give in. He was without sin. How thankful I am that my God really KNOWS what I'm going through. And by his power, he always makes a way to escape. When those temptations feel too much to bear, Christ ALWAYS sends a way of escape. I just need to open my eyes to see it, and then choose to obey.