Let God Redirect Your “Desires of the Flesh”
To Your Deeper “Desires of the Heart”
Matthew 6:9-13(MSG)
Our Father in heaven, . . . Set the world right; Do what's best — as above, so below. . . . Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! Matthew 6:9-13 (MSG)
Pastor’s Blog
“Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil”
“lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
“don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one." Matthew 6:13 (NLT)
“Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil." Matthew 6:13 (CEV)
There are two dangers we face, Satan and ourselves. In Genesis 3, God’s through-Moses-revealed answer to the question, “why is life so hard”. God explains that there is a power beyond ourselves at work. This power, a personal entity, variously described as the devil, Beelzebub, Satan (the accuser), the father of lies and more, is simply a reality we humans have to face. I echo the best biblical scholars that I know when I say that I cannot posit any better explanation for the depth of evil that exists in the world than the existence of the devil. The second danger is ourselves, our desire to do whatever we want, our pride, the inner draw to do that which transcends our boundaries.
Humans are the highest of all the beasts and therefore we have the capacity to go lower than all of them.
When you are tempted can you surrender it? Just give up and walk away? Don’t fight it. Just walk away? Can you accept the possibility of not getting what the “tempted (by the tempter or by yourself) “you” wants?” Can you accept that that which tempts you is a pretender, a fraud, an unfulfillable promise? Can you accept that loosing out on the immediate gratification opens you to the possibility of being fulfilled with the Real Thing?
When I am tempted, don't fight it. Give up. Just walk away.
ReplyDeleteNo, I have never tried that before. I've either fought with all my might or given up and given in. What an interesting and challenging and yet, simple answer. Don't fight, walk away. Isn't that what we teach our children about bullies? Walk away. Thank you, Jeff.
James 1:14b-15 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
ReplyDeleteFor me, even born again, I have tried to walk away from sin, but as this scripture shows, I eventually fail to walk away from me and my "own evil desire" (and motives).
Better for me, as God's adopted, to pray, "God change my heart's desire (my motives) to be Christ's desire".
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24
Nick makes a good point and I don't disagree. However, James also says in Chapter 4 verse 7 to "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." To me, that is the walking away part. I am not doomed to eventually fail. James goes on to say "Come near to God and He will come near to you." For me, that is where I walk to when I walk away. Thanks for the dialogue on this blog - it is very helpful.
ReplyDelete