Help In Times Of Temptation

"The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment." (2 Peter 2:9, NKJV)

All of us are tempted. That's part of life in this world. Temptation is not sin. Sin comes when we give in to temptation. God knows that we cannot resist temptation on our on. So, He has made himself available to deliver us from the temptation. But it requires that we trust Him. "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15, NKJV) That makes Him well qualified to protect us. He is qualified to deserve our trust.

It is easier to avoid the predictable traps of temptation... those things that are major sources of temptation in our lives. It is quite another thing to avoid those things that await us in the secret, unobvious places. We can stray away from the obvious. Only God can guard us from the treacherous deception of the enemy in the often unseen places. It is good to remember that the greatest temptation may come when we have experienced a "victory" in another battle.

Throughout our lives we must trust HIM through every temptation. He will guide us away from the hazardous paths, and will do battle for us in the face of the tempter. Jesus said to pray like this: "And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13a, NKJV) Reaffirming God's faithfulness, the Psalmist said, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." (Psalm 23:3, NKJV)

Trust Him with your temptations today.