Remember I told you about learning how to allow God to be your husband? Here's your chance! And I don't really know how to tell you how to do that. The way that I learned was by asking Him to show me how He could be my husband. And He did. Miracles came into my life. I still look to Him to be my husband. No one person can meet all the needs of another person, so I try to remember to look to God for that.
Another thing we need to try to remember when we are faced with temptation is whether or not we want to live our lives for God completely and receive the blessings He will give us for doing so, or do we want to live for our ownselves. Well, being human, we want to live for our own selves. I know I often do. I struggle with my attitude at home! And I have try to remember to be the way God would want me to be - and it's really hard for me. My attitude at home is my temptation and it's not easy.
But, God says He has made a way for us to overcome temptation. That is, of course, through Jesus - keeping our eyes fixed on Him and not straying off to the left or to the right. The Bible says that God will not allow temptations to come to us if we are not strong enough to overcome them. Therefore, through Jesus' power, YOU DO have the ability to resist your temptation, although it will be very hard. Temptations do not come from God, so where, then, do they come from? Satan. Satan puts them before us. But, God is there to get us through.
There is a promise that if we overcome our temptations, we will recieve a Crown of Life when we get to heaven. What will happen is later - after judgement day - we will give the crowns we have earned to Jesus. So, then we have to ask ourselves, how many crowns do we want to give to him on that day? How many opportunities to earn crowns (there are others we can earn) will we let pass? How will we feel if we had opportunity to earn a crown and passed it up? And there we are looking at Jesus, face to face, and we have to tell him that we could've given him more crowns, but we decided we wanted to live our own way instead.
Read Romans 8
Titus 2:11-12 (New International Version)
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
Romans 8:12-13 (Amplified Bible)
12So then, brethren, we are debtors, but not to the flesh [we are not obligated to our carnal nature], to live [a life ruled by the standards set up by the dictates] of the flesh.
13For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death (making extinct, deadening) the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever.
Proverbs 25:28 (The Message)
28 A person without self-control
is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)
13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
James 1:12-14 (English Standard Version)
12(A) Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive(B) the crown of life,(C) which God has promised to those who love him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Cross references:
James 1:12 : James 5:11; Matt 10:22; 1 Pet 3:14; Dan 12:12
James 1:12 : Rev 2:10; 3:11; 1 Cor 9:25; 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Pet 5:4
James 1:12 : James 2:5
Friday, August 28, 2009
Soft Rain
Sitting under the shelter of my front porch, I hear trickles of raindrops falling from the roof, making light splashing noises as the drops hit the brick below. Thunder rumbles in the distance.
I hear the rain puttering on the tree leaves as it hits each leaf causing them to frolic and dance up and down.
I smell the grey mud from the river - and fish - mixed with the fresh crisp scent of new rain.
I see dark, fluffy grey clouds mixed with lighter grey clouds that have brilliant spots of sun fighting to shine through. I see a patch of blue being covered by the clouds. I see light wind being carried from tree to tree making the leaves wave up and down to the wet drops falling from the grey clouds above.
I hear a radio in the distance, unable to determine the tune. I hear more thunder - louder, closer now. I hear a neighbor puttering around in his garage causing tinker noises to cross the path. A car alarm goes off down the street - and suddenly stops as quickly as it had started.
I feel the humidity stick to my skin like glue and the itchy little nips of mosquitoes bites telling me it's time to go inside.
I hear the rain puttering on the tree leaves as it hits each leaf causing them to frolic and dance up and down.
I smell the grey mud from the river - and fish - mixed with the fresh crisp scent of new rain.
I see dark, fluffy grey clouds mixed with lighter grey clouds that have brilliant spots of sun fighting to shine through. I see a patch of blue being covered by the clouds. I see light wind being carried from tree to tree making the leaves wave up and down to the wet drops falling from the grey clouds above.
I hear a radio in the distance, unable to determine the tune. I hear more thunder - louder, closer now. I hear a neighbor puttering around in his garage causing tinker noises to cross the path. A car alarm goes off down the street - and suddenly stops as quickly as it had started.
I feel the humidity stick to my skin like glue and the itchy little nips of mosquitoes bites telling me it's time to go inside.
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