Temptation GOD'S LOVE REVEALS OUR WEAKNESS
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4.
Satan knows that so long as we depend upon God's power and keep our eyes upon Jesus, we are impregnable to his temptations. So he works to distract us and to get our attention focused on ourselves, for if he can do that he can overcome us. The cruel fact is that we often do not know when we have been distracted. Have you ever had the experience of having a meaningful devotional time with Jesus in the morning, and sometime during midday being absolutely vanquished by the enemy on some particular weakness, and you didn't even know at what point you had turned away from Jesus?
God in His kindness, in His merciful and loving way, is interested in revealing to us how easily we are distracted from dependence upon Him. He helps us realize just as soon as possible that we have been turned from Him, and He wants to help us realize what will keep us from that. So we come to the testing and proving process to reveal to us our characters. James 1:2-4 tells us to greet the testing process with joy, for it brings about growth and patience. God does not bring the temptations and trials, but He is able to use them to reveal to us our need of Him.
God brings us to one point after another designed to show to us what is in our hearts. This is described in The Ministry of Healing, page 470: "Many who sincerely consecrate their lives to God's service are surprised and disappointed to find themselves, as never before, confronted by obstacles and beset by trials and perplexities. They pray for Christlikeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord's work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil of their nature....Like Israel of old they question, 'If God is leading us, why do all these things come upon us?' "
God's purpose is to reveal to us, step by step, point by point, just where it is that we are tempted to depend upon our own strength, and turn away from His power. As we endure the test and continue to seek the daily fellowship with Him, He will lead us just as fast as possible to the place of total dependence upon Him, and total possession and control by Him, all the time.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4.
Satan knows that so long as we depend upon God's power and keep our eyes upon Jesus, we are impregnable to his temptations. So he works to distract us and to get our attention focused on ourselves, for if he can do that he can overcome us. The cruel fact is that we often do not know when we have been distracted. Have you ever had the experience of having a meaningful devotional time with Jesus in the morning, and sometime during midday being absolutely vanquished by the enemy on some particular weakness, and you didn't even know at what point you had turned away from Jesus?
God in His kindness, in His merciful and loving way, is interested in revealing to us how easily we are distracted from dependence upon Him. He helps us realize just as soon as possible that we have been turned from Him, and He wants to help us realize what will keep us from that. So we come to the testing and proving process to reveal to us our characters. James 1:2-4 tells us to greet the testing process with joy, for it brings about growth and patience. God does not bring the temptations and trials, but He is able to use them to reveal to us our need of Him.
God brings us to one point after another designed to show to us what is in our hearts. This is described in The Ministry of Healing, page 470: "Many who sincerely consecrate their lives to God's service are surprised and disappointed to find themselves, as never before, confronted by obstacles and beset by trials and perplexities. They pray for Christlikeness of character, for a fitness for the Lord's work, and they are placed in circumstances that seem to call forth all the evil of their nature....Like Israel of old they question, 'If God is leading us, why do all these things come upon us?' "
God's purpose is to reveal to us, step by step, point by point, just where it is that we are tempted to depend upon our own strength, and turn away from His power. As we endure the test and continue to seek the daily fellowship with Him, He will lead us just as fast as possible to the place of total dependence upon Him, and total possession and control by Him, all the time.
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