Temptation

"Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal - it does not direct me to what I understand to be evil, but rather what I understand to be good."

-Oswald Chambers

You know those times when the lord keeps teaching you about the same things over and over again? Lately, it seems to me the Lord is doing this with temptation. Check out some of these devotionals on My Utmost for His Highest:

Is there good in Temptation?

His Temptation and Ours

Are you going on with Jesus?

There are so many good thought-provoking nuggets in those devotionals! While there are so many things to focus on here, I really wanted to focus on was the idea that our temptations show us about where our heart truly lies. In some was, I think the following verse really applies:

For where your treasure is, there yor heart will be also.

-Matthew 6:21

But wait a second Bets! Are you telling me I treasure my sins and temptations? Even if I hate how they take me away from God and ask them to be removed? I'm saying that you treasure what is promised by the fulfillment of the temptation more than the glorious promises of the Lord. I know this is harsh, but I am saying this because I know this is true for myself. As much as I dislike the fact that my temptations shine a spotlight on where I'm not trusting in the Lord, they also show me areas that I need to surrender to the Lord. If I can't think of ways to grow in Christ, taking a look at my temptations is like a flashing billboard saying "You need to grow here!"

My prayer for us today is that we would critically examine the things that tempt us for things to surrender to the Lord.