From my personal devotional time this morning, my hope and prayer for you is that God used this to not only encourage me today, but to encourage all of YOU today!
Temptation and testing (or a trial) are two sides of the same coin.
We learn this in Matthew 4:1 and the entire book of Job.
In seasons of temptation and trial, it is easy to grow weary and discouraged. Our emotions can be all over the place. If you're anything like me, you can experience every emotion common to man in 1 minute flat! :) We can't rely on our emotions! I'm not suggesting that we should ignore our emotions. We need to tune in to them, identify them, feel them, acknowledge them, etc., because emotions are God given in how He created us, and often it's important to allow ourselves permission to "feel" them because doing so can very much be part of the process in what He is ultimately trying to grow you in.
As the Laura Story song, "Blessings," that I posted last week says, (don't know if this is word for word, but the general gist of what I'm trying to convey): "What if your blessings come through raindrops? What if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know your here? What if trials of this life, are like mercies in disguise?"
My point is that experiencing those "tears," "sleepless nights," "trials," and even our emotions is all part of the process that our faithful, loving father is trying to accomplish in each of our lives in unique ways. Where we get in trouble is when we stay trapped in those emotions and fail to take every thought or feeling captive and make it obedient to the Word of God, which is the only truth we can truly rely and base our hope on. Our feelings will ultimately fail us IF we do not take them captive, and line them up with the truth of God's perfect Word.
So let me help you out a little with what I read this morning, and although I've read it a gazillion times, it is always faithful to realign my thoughts and feelings with truth. So, let's take a walk through just the first half of James 1.
In my Bible, the subheading is "Trials and Temptations." It says (and I may not quote word for word but the content will be the same, for the sake of serving those reading that have no idea what I'm talking about)! :)
Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials 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 lackin anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you MUST believe and NOT DOUBT, because you who doubt is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded and unstable in all he does. (OUCH - that's personal)! :)
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because when (I love how God's Word doesn't say if, but WHEN - that's hope) you have stood the test, you will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; (WOW!! I don't know about you, but that's profound for me who has been guilty of accusing God)! But each one is tempted when, by his OWN sinful desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don't be deceived, every good and perfect gift is from above, from God, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
So to sum it all up, how do we Walk In Victory over temptations and trials? We take every thought and emotion captive and MAKE it obedient to God's Word, the ONLY truth we can rely upon and that will NOT fail us or return void! Why should we count temptations and trials as pure JOY? Because, the testing of our faith produces perseverance! Why do we need to persevere? To mature us and make us complete - lacking nothing! What is the one who perseveres under trial? BLESSED!! If you have to print just the last paragraph of this post out or write in on an index card to keep before you on those "stormy" days, then do so! Engage in the battle! Fight back! You don't have to just sit there defeated! Just do what I do...I say things like this last paragraph to myself audibly out loud in my home, as I take my daily walk, wherever it is when my thoughtlife and emotions (exactly where the devil knows he can get to me) come under attack! I'm sure onlookers/hearers think I'm crazy, but those who know me personally KNOW that I always have myself in some sort of predictament anyway so just learn to do what I do. Laugh at yourself, make fun of yourself, etc. You'll be amazed at how effective that alone is in helping you walk in victory!! So feel free to talk to yourself and laugh all by yourself! If you're not talking to or laughing at yourself, you'll be listening to yourself! For me, the 1st choice is best!!
TEMPTATIONS AND TRIALS
Temptation and testing (or a trial) are two sides of the same coin.
Satan uses an occasion or a person to tempt us to fall;
God uses the same to try and make us stronger.
In seasons of temptation and trial, it is easy to grow weary and discouraged. Our emotions can be all over the place. If you're anything like me, you can experience every emotion common to man in 1 minute flat! :) We can't rely on our emotions! I'm not suggesting that we should ignore our emotions. We need to tune in to them, identify them, feel them, acknowledge them, etc., because emotions are God given in how He created us, and often it's important to allow ourselves permission to "feel" them because doing so can very much be part of the process in what He is ultimately trying to grow you in.
As the Laura Story song, "Blessings," that I posted last week says, (don't know if this is word for word, but the general gist of what I'm trying to convey): "What if your blessings come through raindrops? What if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know your here? What if trials of this life, are like mercies in disguise?"
My point is that experiencing those "tears," "sleepless nights," "trials," and even our emotions is all part of the process that our faithful, loving father is trying to accomplish in each of our lives in unique ways. Where we get in trouble is when we stay trapped in those emotions and fail to take every thought or feeling captive and make it obedient to the Word of God, which is the only truth we can truly rely and base our hope on. Our feelings will ultimately fail us IF we do not take them captive, and line them up with the truth of God's perfect Word.
So let me help you out a little with what I read this morning, and although I've read it a gazillion times, it is always faithful to realign my thoughts and feelings with truth. So, let's take a walk through just the first half of James 1.
In my Bible, the subheading is "Trials and Temptations." It says (and I may not quote word for word but the content will be the same, for the sake of serving those reading that have no idea what I'm talking about)! :)
Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials 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 lackin anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you MUST believe and NOT DOUBT, because you who doubt is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded and unstable in all he does. (OUCH - that's personal)! :)
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because when (I love how God's Word doesn't say if, but WHEN - that's hope) you have stood the test, you will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; (WOW!! I don't know about you, but that's profound for me who has been guilty of accusing God)! But each one is tempted when, by his OWN sinful desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don't be deceived, every good and perfect gift is from above, from God, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
So to sum it all up, how do we Walk In Victory over temptations and trials? We take every thought and emotion captive and MAKE it obedient to God's Word, the ONLY truth we can rely upon and that will NOT fail us or return void! Why should we count temptations and trials as pure JOY? Because, the testing of our faith produces perseverance! Why do we need to persevere? To mature us and make us complete - lacking nothing! What is the one who perseveres under trial? BLESSED!! If you have to print just the last paragraph of this post out or write in on an index card to keep before you on those "stormy" days, then do so! Engage in the battle! Fight back! You don't have to just sit there defeated! Just do what I do...I say things like this last paragraph to myself audibly out loud in my home, as I take my daily walk, wherever it is when my thoughtlife and emotions (exactly where the devil knows he can get to me) come under attack! I'm sure onlookers/hearers think I'm crazy, but those who know me personally KNOW that I always have myself in some sort of predictament anyway so just learn to do what I do. Laugh at yourself, make fun of yourself, etc. You'll be amazed at how effective that alone is in helping you walk in victory!! So feel free to talk to yourself and laugh all by yourself! If you're not talking to or laughing at yourself, you'll be listening to yourself! For me, the 1st choice is best!!
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