Tag Archives: God’s provision

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)

“Temptation” is any invitation to abandon God’s will.  In this world, temptation is a common experience.  However, escaping temptation is expected to be the Christian disciple’s common response.

The bible tells us that God will not allow a temptation greater than we can bear.  In every temptation — whether we are facing it for the first time or for the 50th time — God has provided us an exit.

When you are tempted, look for the exit — then take it!  – Luther

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“Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.”  (Proverbs 10:2, NIV)

It is a sign of Christian maturity to be content with as little, or as much, as you’ve been given in this life.

Today’s lesson from Proverbs tells us that every person risks trouble when he or she is dissatisfied and begins to justify crooked schemes to acquire more.  This is particularly perilous for the disciple of Jesus, because if we don’t have it, we don’t need it.  (Really.  We don’t neeeeeeed it.)  God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

A right relationship with God ensures that we shall have all that we need; with the added blessing of knowing that we shall be delivered in, and through, situations that destroy the unscrupulous.  Take care to be honest and true in both your actions and in your ambitions.  – Luther

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“’My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.'”  (John 4:34, NIV)

As we’ve been told before: We need to be careful of what we eat.  Over time, what we consume eventually consumes us.

Jesus said that His “food” was: (1) To do the will of His Father and; (2) To finish His work.

What is it that energizes you?  What is it that were you to have to do without, you would die?  By definition, this is our “food.”

As followers of Jesus, we should have the exact same motivation that He did.  To require anything else assures spiritual malnutrition and the risk of being consumed by unworthy ambitions.

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these [other] things [we so eagerly seek, including literal food] will be added [provided] to us.” (Note: Bracketed words are my amplifications.)  – Luther

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