Trials and Temptation

Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one.

But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desires.

Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully matured, brings forth death. ~ James 1:13-15

When we go through trials and temptation, we have this need to put the blame anywhere except the face looking back at us in the mirror. We put the blame on God, the world, our spouses, our children, other people, the way we were raised, our past hurts, and of course the most common one, the devil.

The truth is, God has given us free choice, and if we choose to allow temptation to overtake us, then it will. We are the ones that choose to be drawn away. We are the ones with the evil thoughts and desires. We are the ones that allow ourselves to be baited.

When we allow temptation to go from a thought to an action, we will sin, and when we sin, we are opening the door to death and destruction. This doesn't necessarily mean we will physically die. Depending on the sin, it could mean the death of a relationship, finances, dreams, a job, and of course physical death.

The only way to really overcome temptation is to renew our mind. And, the only way we can renew our mind is to study God's Word.

Every sin that we commit started in our mind. When we allow our minds to go astray, we open the door to sin, death, and destruction. This does not have to happen. God has given us power over sin. God has shown us through His Word how to overcome sin and death.

However, it is our choice. We can choose to be overcome by temptations or we can choose to overcome temptations.

I wrote an article awhile back that deals with the mind and tongue. The example I use in the article is anger, but the basic principal is the same. All sin starts in the mind. This article helps us to learn how to hold every thought captive under the Authority of Jesus Christ. We must submit our thought life to Him, and stop the thought before it ever becomes a manifestation.

Here is a link if you want to read it

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for freeing me from the chains of sin through the Blood of Your Precious Son, Jesus. Thank You that I no longer have to be overcome by temptation. Thank You, that Your mighty Word holds all the ammunition and help that I need to overcome the enemy and sin. Daddy God, I choose right now to turn away from sin and renew my mind daily. And when I mess up I will pick myself up and try again. Thank You. I receive Your strength right now, IN Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,

Lara ;)

The Importance of Patience Under Trials

Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive the victor's crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. ~ James 1:12

Let's start with the original Greek text for blessed.

Blessed - makarious (mak-ar'-ee-os): supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, happy.

That sounds good to me! If I am patient and stand firm when I am tempted and under trials I am blessed. It doesn't stop there though. I also earn treasure in Heaven. Treasure that no thief can steal and no moth or rust can destroy. It is a promise of God.

He wants to give us something we can have while we are here on earth. When we stand firm and remain patient under temptation and trial we become SUPREMELY blessed. We gain true happiness. Why? Because we trust and are confident in our Mighty God and His Hand over our lives.

God also wants to give us an eternal reward for standing strong. He wants to give us a crown. WHOO HOO! I will wear mine proudly! I plan on getting that crown! I hope you do to.

Standing firm is an act of will. We must want to do it. It is never a matter of "can we." It is always ONLY a matter of will we. God has given us the power to do all things. It is our job to receive that power and exercise it by faith.

As far as the patience part of this promise, that's another devotional! LOL!
Here is a link to it.

The wonderful thing about when God wants us to do something is, He always has some awesome benefit or reward to give us for our obedience.
What a GREAT DADDY!

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, I just want to thank You for always making life as Your child a joy. Thank You for always giving rewards for my obedience. You are truly an AWESOME God. You are the perfect model of what a parent should be. I would be blessed to be even a fraction of the parent You are. I love You Daddy. I love You very much and I trust You completely. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)

Copyright © Lara Velez