Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.
James 1:15
Temptation is deceptively disguised. Just like the bait used by fishermen to entice their catch, temptation looks good—at first.
When we’re lured in by sin, we don’t think about the sting of the hook. So often, we just take the bait because we don’t see where that temptation is leading us. Yet, in this verse, we are clearly cautioned about where this dangerous path leads.
Sin has its kicks. But it also has some serious kickbacks. Don’t allow yourself to fall for the evil one’s trick and think that you’ve gotten away with something. Time always reveals the truth and brings sin and its consequences to light.
God wants you to avoid those consequences. But to do that, you need help in recognizing the bait Satan uses to try and lure you away from God’s plan. God is ready to help you identify the areas where sinful desires have started so you can eliminate them before they become full grown.
Prayer:
Dear God, when I face times of temptation it is easy to be short-sighted and not see the long-term results. Help me to recognize temptation as well as the full grown sin in my life, so that I can turn from it and follow you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Prayin For You
Father God, I'm prayin' to you for somebody,
who knows you Lord but just hasn't,
hasn't been seein' you in the right view lately,
Hear me out...
Father, I'm prayin' for a friend he and I are pretty close,
and out of all my friends for this one I'm concerned the most.
He say he readin' daily but he ain't really learnin'.
He been in church but say that he ain't moved by any sermon.
His face weak,
he ain't prayed in a week,
he wake up and just weep with his face in the sink
Lord, you gotta help my man,
I'm prayin' for him daily,
he ain't sinned but it just seem as if he goin' crazy.
He say he feelin' trapped,
can't even head up the mall
cuz every lady's half-dressed temptin' him to lust and fall.
He keep the TV off,
videos just make him feel that he ain't really nothin'
without money, girls and shiny wheels.
The other day he told me that he felt less a man
cuz he ain't have a five-year plan or a piece of land
and man it's crazy cuz his family think so much of him,
plus he got a godly wife who always showin' love for him but he's strugglin',
even though he talk to me,
I tell him what to do but he don't listen when he oughta' be.
I'm scared for him cuz there's people that look up to him,
he got some younger siblings who been changed by what he's done for them
but is it done for him, Lord don't let it be,
if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me,
is it done for him, Lord don't let it be,
if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me...
Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, I'm prayin' for you
Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, yeah, I'm prayin' for you...
God, his condition is worsen since we were last conversed
and I'm with him now and he ain't doin' well and this I'm certain.
He say he tryna' trust you, doesn't wanna disgust you
but he was in the mist of sinners and did not discuss you
and just today his anxiety's got the best of him,
he knows Christ but for hours refuse to rest in Him,
he's not the best of men but Lord I know he really loves you
and I can't understand why lately he's not thinkin' of you.
People trust this dude, you could crush this dude,
Father he needs more of you I pray you touch this dude,
what can I say to him?
I'm determined to pray for him
Father empty and break him I pray
you'll just have your way with him,
cuz there's a change in him and the effects are strong,
I pray you open up his heart before the next song and when he gets home,
I pray he'll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote
and soak it up coz he ain't hearin' You
and he ain't feelin' me
and God I know it's killin' You
because it's killin' me
and matter of fact
there's somethin' else he's concealin'
see, the person that I've been prayin' about
is really me...
Prayin' For You by LeCrae
who knows you Lord but just hasn't,
hasn't been seein' you in the right view lately,
Hear me out...
Father, I'm prayin' for a friend he and I are pretty close,
and out of all my friends for this one I'm concerned the most.
He say he readin' daily but he ain't really learnin'.
He been in church but say that he ain't moved by any sermon.
His face weak,
he ain't prayed in a week,
he wake up and just weep with his face in the sink
Lord, you gotta help my man,
I'm prayin' for him daily,
he ain't sinned but it just seem as if he goin' crazy.
He say he feelin' trapped,
can't even head up the mall
cuz every lady's half-dressed temptin' him to lust and fall.
He keep the TV off,
videos just make him feel that he ain't really nothin'
without money, girls and shiny wheels.
The other day he told me that he felt less a man
cuz he ain't have a five-year plan or a piece of land
and man it's crazy cuz his family think so much of him,
plus he got a godly wife who always showin' love for him but he's strugglin',
even though he talk to me,
I tell him what to do but he don't listen when he oughta' be.
I'm scared for him cuz there's people that look up to him,
he got some younger siblings who been changed by what he's done for them
but is it done for him, Lord don't let it be,
if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me,
is it done for him, Lord don't let it be,
if he don't wanna talk to you then Father hear from me...
Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, I'm prayin' for you
Yeah, I'm prayin' for you, yeah, yeah, I'm prayin' for you...
God, his condition is worsen since we were last conversed
and I'm with him now and he ain't doin' well and this I'm certain.
He say he tryna' trust you, doesn't wanna disgust you
but he was in the mist of sinners and did not discuss you
and just today his anxiety's got the best of him,
he knows Christ but for hours refuse to rest in Him,
he's not the best of men but Lord I know he really loves you
and I can't understand why lately he's not thinkin' of you.
People trust this dude, you could crush this dude,
Father he needs more of you I pray you touch this dude,
what can I say to him?
I'm determined to pray for him
Father empty and break him I pray
you'll just have your way with him,
cuz there's a change in him and the effects are strong,
I pray you open up his heart before the next song and when he gets home,
I pray he'll open up the sixty-six book love letter you wrote
and soak it up coz he ain't hearin' You
and he ain't feelin' me
and God I know it's killin' You
because it's killin' me
and matter of fact
there's somethin' else he's concealin'
see, the person that I've been prayin' about
is really me...
Prayin' For You by LeCrae
Thursday, October 22, 2009
NO EXCUSES
…but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
James 1:14
Most of us don’t like to accept the blame for those moments in life when we miss the mark, when we hurt someone, and when we fall into temptation. Maybe we try to blame someone else for our shortcomings, or try to justify our actions with the mediocre standards of this world. But God doesn’t leave us the option of playing the blame game or making excuses. He holds us accountable for our actions.
Our sins and evil desires come right out of our own sin nature. It is Satan who is directly tethered to our temptation. He also customizes his schemes according to our strengths, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. And we are the ones who make the choice to give in to the enticements of this world.
If you feel like you are facing temptation, don’t let yourself get dragged away by it. Instead of making excuses, cry out to God for his help and allow him to lead you to victory.
James 1:14
Most of us don’t like to accept the blame for those moments in life when we miss the mark, when we hurt someone, and when we fall into temptation. Maybe we try to blame someone else for our shortcomings, or try to justify our actions with the mediocre standards of this world. But God doesn’t leave us the option of playing the blame game or making excuses. He holds us accountable for our actions.
Our sins and evil desires come right out of our own sin nature. It is Satan who is directly tethered to our temptation. He also customizes his schemes according to our strengths, vulnerabilities and weaknesses. And we are the ones who make the choice to give in to the enticements of this world.
If you feel like you are facing temptation, don’t let yourself get dragged away by it. Instead of making excuses, cry out to God for his help and allow him to lead you to victory.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
God's Garments
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Genesis 3:21
We have all felt it—that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize a great plan wasn’t so great after all. It’s when you recognize your approach was wrong from the start. It happens when you discover you have stumbled into the wrong place and you cannot find a way out.
That must have been the feeling Adam and Eve had right after they ate the forbidden fruit. They thought they had a brilliant cover-up plan. They realized they were naked, so they attempted to sew fig leaves together as a solution. And as you can imagine, fig leaves didn’t do a great job of covering their naked bodies.
We’ve all had times when we made a situation worse by trying to fix it ourselves. When our brilliant ideas fall short, it is a great opportunity to look to God for strength and wisdom. God’s plan is always the best plan—even when we’re too proud to ask for his help.
When Adam and Eve realized the inadequacy of their fig leaves, they accepted the greatness of God’s garments. God’s covering was far more sufficient for them. So if you are dealing with the consequences of a plan gone bad, it’s time to look to God for his solution instead of trying to cover things on your own.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
