A Way to Escape.

Temptation.

Temptation is making a choice, it is having things to choose between. You can't be tempted without having at least two things, if not more to choose from. Temptation is an offer. Temptation is an opportunity. We are tempted- offered an opportunity to either do the thing we know is contrary to God's will, or do God's will. Daily temptations will make themselves available to us, we can't escape them. These words - 'lead us not into temptation' are very familiar words from the prayer of Jesus as He instructed the apostles on the form of prayer.

Being led by God we do not want to be caught up in temptations to be led astray. We want to be delivered from evil, not caught up in it. We need God to lead us away from anything that would cause us to despair of His love, of His grace.

So why then does it seem as if we are lead into temptation daily, hourly, minutely? Is God leading us towards these temptations? We are to pray NOT to be led towards temptations yet find ourselves led there, why? What is happening for this to occur?

Jesus prayed this-

Mar 14:35  And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 

Mar 14:36  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. 

Jesus wanted His trial to be taken from Him, He did not want to go through what was to come- the horror he knew waiting for Him. He told His Father that ALL things are possible with Him, meaning, it was possible for His Father to prevent what was to come upon Him- the extreme mental, physical, emotional torture. All of it could be avoided if the Father wanted to take the horror away from Him. Jesus KNEW he needn't suffer, yet to fulfil the plan of salvation He submitted to the will of His Father. There was a REASON for His Father allowing the trial, the pain, the agony, and that reason was worth whatever was to come. Jesus trusted the Father, even as the cup remained in His hand to drink from and was not taken from Him.

When we pray not to be led into temptation we are praying that we are able to endure whatever will come our way and that we will prevail through God. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. We don't want to be tempted to stray from God, we want to be delivered from all evil in our lives. And we NEED the FATHER to do this for us, we recognize that we are powerless in the face of our adversary and all his evil ways. The Father is NOT powerless and we run to Him for constant deliverance- trusting that whatever we are called to go through that it is ultimately for our good.  Our good is learning to depend solely upon God, trusting in Him for all things. Our good is learning we are saved by Christ, not by ourselves. Our good is learning to obey the will of God, not our own will. Our good is choosing God over all else, through the Holy Spirit's power. Our good is recognizing the evil from the good and NOT calling evil good, or good evil. Our good is taking up the cross daily comprehending that following our Savior is not going to be having any cups taken from us, but submitting to the will of God.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

We are NOT tempted above that we are able- we are NOT tempted so much that we are forced to give into the despair Satan wants us to- of ever trusting in God to save us. The failure lies in believing there is no escape, no Savior. As we struggle with our temptations- DAILY- for it is a daily prayer Jesus taught to us- we must believe that the temptation will be overcome if not instantaneously then eventually through unending perseverance in the belief that there is a way to escape so we can bear what is taking place in our lives.

A way to escape. He is the way to escape. He is the choice we must choose. He is the answer. May HIS WILL BE DONE, not ours.

In any temptation we face may we ultimately choose God's will over our own.

All through the love of our LORD GOD THE FATHER, and  all through the LORD SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST,  all through the HOLY SPIRIT now and forever!

AMEN.