How much do we remember of the suffering and enduring of Jesus? Well, He endured the temptations of Satan in the wilderness and of course the sufferings even to the point of death. I don’t know about you, but those were some pretty profound events that demonstrate just how much endurance Jesus had as He traveled this world.
How much temptation and suffering are we enduring each day? Well:
“13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
However much we are experiencing, God provides our way of taking it on and coming out on the other side still following Him and spreading the Gospel. God knows that we are human and that there are temptations that will arise daily. As such, He also makes sure that we have the tools to overcome them.
Daily I am presented with many opportunities to stray from the following of God and where I would like to say I always choose the righteous path, that would not be the truth. Sometimes I unconsciously take the path of least resistance and other times I consciously take the easy way. That is the difficulty of being here in this world and being human. I am presented with the ways of the world and have the opportunity to choose that way or the way of God.
As I just mentioned, I have not always, and will not always choose the right path. But, and here is the best part, God will always love me and provide the way for me to escape the wrong path. He knows I will stray, and although He does not want me to, He provides me the free will to choose and the free will to choose to come back to the right path with Him.
Here is where we have to be careful. We do not have the open season to actively walk away from God and only come back to Him when things get too tough for us and ask Him to take away our suffering. We must not use God as the safety net and take unmitigated risk in the world. What we are able to do is do His will each and every day, knowing that He is right there with us and will make sure that we are able to get through all of the trials, tribulations, temptations, and sufferings that will come with the tasks He asks of us as we do His will.
When you are in the world, are you always doing the will of God? What if you focused your attention to doing that which is pleasing to God? Did you know that God will provide your way to escape adversity so that you are able to endure all the difficulty presented?
Trevor's Thoughts 