No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
It doesn't make any difference how old you are, the temptation to do wrong is always a problem.
This is just another way of saying that as far as I can tell, a person never outgrows the propensity to sin.
You can be as old as me, or maybe as young as the ten-year-old boy who had been instructed by his parents to avoid a certain movie that was playing in town. Not surprisingly, the movie house is exactly where his parents found him on Saturday afternoon.
When they got him home, they asked, "Whatever possessed you to go in that place? You know we told you that you shouldn't go!"
To his mother's question, the boy replied, "Mama, I just couldn't help myself. I smelled that popcorn and it smelled so good that I had to buy some. And then the floor of that movie house was so slick, I just slid inside."
Ever since Adam and Eve chomped down on the forbidden fruit people have been sliding into all kinds of sin. We can't help ourselves. Our sinful human nature leads us to do all kinds of things we know we shouldn't.
For some, the temptation may be drugs, for others alcohol, for others treating family members with disdain. We all have sins into which we slide.
Thankfully, our helplessness is not the last word on the subject.
If you have a personal temptation that is hard to shake and you have not been able to conquer it on your own, help is available. The Lord Jesus wishes, through His love and by His sacrifice, to make you more and better than you ever dreamed possible.
He wants you forgiven, saved, and a soul who has stopped its sinful sliding.
May God bless you today as you become victorious over temptation.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Father, I truly want to be victorious over those things in life that tempt me. Send Your Holy Spirit so I may rely upon my Savior and be empowered to a less slippery life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 74-76 Revelation 5
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