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Speak into our hearts, Father, and into our circumstances, to be exalted in our lives, as we continue to meditate upon Your promised word that declares -The Lord will build Zion; And He will demonstrate His glory. [Psalm 102:16] It is not by blind rules and regulations, but in a relationship with God, as your Father, that He builds you up. You are blessed and privileged when in an intimate and personal relationship, you can call and experience Him as ‘My God’, and acknowledge Christ as your very own Savior and Lord. It is how He helps you when you face tests and temptations in your christian walk. He became flesh and blood, to be born in this world, suffered and faced temptations, and was yet without sin. And today, having become the atonement on the Cross, by shedding His blood for the sins of the whole world, He has dealt with sin, death and satan victoriously. He is powerful, and He is willing, in fact, desires to help you!
He is able to help you – the reason:
You have a merciful and faithful High Priest, and because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. [Hebrews 2:17,18] Temptation that comes your way, at the surface level could appear to be a stand alone situation, that no one else has ever encountered. But at the core of it all, it is always owing to either the lust, of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life as the scripture has declared. [1 John 2:15-17] Ultimately every temptation targets your faith. And Christ ,on becoming man, has walked the path, faced every aspect of temptation, to overcome it all, and now helps you overcome. The Lord’s battle against it, is narrated in the scriptures, setting forth the procedure, that you may apply it in the power of the Spirit, and see the tempter flee from you!
YOU can do it! – the temptation:
It was a legitimate need; and so it could be, even in your own life. The Lord was hungry after fasting for forty days and nights in the desert. And He had the power to turn stones into bread. But it was to depend upon His own strength alone, instead of His Father’s will and power, that was the devil’s tempting suggestion. [Matthew 4:2-4] The world system is self centered and satan dominated. And you can indeed accomplish many things in this world trusting only in your own self. And self confidence is not essentially wrong. Bit you need the scriptures, the strength and wisdom of God that comes by it in order to know and accomplish the best that God has for you, as a child of God.
You can do it – through CHRIST who strengthens you!:
Being addicted to self will make you allergic to God. And what matters in life is doing the will of God; and you need God in your life, to do His will. It is what the Lord makes clear, in the parable describing the rich man who in trusting the abundance of his temporary earthly possessions was in reality, a fool, for he was losing his own soul for eternity. [Luke 12:17-21] And to know God, to be the One True God, and Jesus Christ to be the One whom He has sent, is eternal life. [John 17:3] It is more than mere longevity, but living the God kind of life, even here on earth, to progress to eternity.
Depending upon God – the importance:
Thus says the Lord “Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his strength; whose heart turns away from God”. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. [Jeremiah 17:5,6] A misplaced trust upon money, pride, social status, to name a few, will only take you away from God; and anything that takes you away from God is not good for you.For what the favor of God can do in your life, finance cannot. It was the favor of God that lifted Joseph from the prison to the throne, as God caused the right people to remember him at the right time. As you depend upon God, all that He has given you, has blessed you with, will work out,or come together in your favor. It all boils down to a matter of trust.
Where is your trust?
Loving and trusting go hand in hand. When you love God, you will also trust God. But when your trust is in money, it will lead to an unhealthy longing and craving for it, leading to ruin and destruction, as you go through the vicious pangs of an obsessive compulsive disorder! For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many pangs. [1 Timothy 6:10] The temptation to bow down and succumb to ungodly means to get what you legitimately need is very real. But the Lord faced it, to overcome it, when the devil tempted Him to bow down and worship him,to receive the kingdoms of the world without the agony of the Cross. And even in your life, if you do not give in to the temptation of trusting in the things that God has given you, to trust Him instead, and have God in your life, you have everything. For, He has a way of bringing riches to you that He may be glorified, and you are blessed, by riches that are connected to His purpose for your life, to become His provision for the fulfillment of it. Riches and honour belong to Him, the Bible says. You need God in your life in every circumstance, to overcome every challenge and temptation that you face. The road map is clearly laid out in the word of God.
Trust in the Lord – with all your heart:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. [Proverbs 3:5,6] It is wise and practical counsel from the only wise God who alone knows it all. There is always more that you do not know, than what you think you know, concerning anything that crops up in your life. And it is why leaning on your own understanding is folly, and going to God, knowing that you need Him, to depend upon Him, is the only wise thing that you can do. And you will not live to regret it!
Sarah, the wife of Abraham, in depending upon her own understanding of God’s promise to them, took matters into her own hands, initially, and the painful result of it can be seen even today in a conflict that is doomed to continue through the ages. God is not bound by your timeline or mine, in fulfilling His promises.When doubts assail you,therefore, and you are in the verge of giving up, turn to God in prayer, asking for an united heart that you may love Him, and continue to trust Him.He knows all things, and He can do all things, and His plan for you is greater and higher. And He is a faithful God, who wants you to be fruitful. Do not confine yourself therefore to your own limited understanding, but may the eyes of your heart be opened to what is deeper and greater that comes to you by knowing Christ, and the privilege of being known by Him.
Depending on God – 1] acknowledging Him:
Your dependence on God is by acknowledging His presence with you and in you,, by honoring Him in your life, to be blessed.He has promised never to leave you or forsake you, but let Him not be a silent listener to your conversation. May your prayer therefore in acknowledgement of His presence be, that His will may be done, and His kingdom come in your life.
2] Being thankful:
If it is all about Him, what about me, where do I fit in? This could be the question in your heart, when being thankful for the privilege of being saved, all by His grace becomes the all sufficient answer. He thought of you and is now thinking of you. And when He is thinking of you, you are being made into something, according to His glorious purpose for your life, which alone can bring true satisfaction in you. Therefore, it is wise not to lean on your own understanding, but with a thankful heart depend on God, your God.
Seeking His will, by prioritizing His word:
There could be lot of other voices, tempting you take the easy way out, bowing down to align yourself with the pattern of the world. And you may have got what you so desperately craved for, but you will find that there is still a God shaped vacuum in you that only He can fill.
Submitting to His word –
And it comes by submission, submitting to a mission, that is His divine desire for your life, to say in humble trust and dependence, even as Mary said, ‘Be it unto me, according to thy word’. It is how you can take the high road of holiness, to be led to where God wants you to be, your divine destiny, to be made complete in Him. Acknowledging your need for dependency on God makes all the difference. Therefore, may we pray, Father, We thank thee for your wondrous presence, your powerful word. We need you in our challenges, trials and temptations, for with You all things are possible, and no purpose of yours can be thwarted. We thank thee, that above all, You are our God, and we are your children. Help us to constantly depend upon You, that by overcoming challenges, we may reach our divine destiny. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
