A Way to Escape
Have you ever stumped your toe and the most fowl words hung on
the tip of your tongue? Maybe, when a gorgeous babe walked by,
you caught them checking you out. Perhaps, the dry cleaners
ruined your outfit and a few choice words came to mind. Suppose
a check was delivered to you in the mail, by mistake. Consider
if someone set out to hurt you and the perfect opportunity arose
to get even.
Have you ever found yourself in a position where, if you just
keep your mouth shut, you will receive the credit? Perhaps you
observe the keys in another's car. Maybe you're in a different
town where no one would notice you visiting the local bar. Or,
you're on vacation, at the beach, where church members will
never see how you dress.
Have you ever been tempted, when a store clerk doesn't notice
the extra item in your cart? Maybe you think a tranquilizer
really would calm your nerves. Suppose you ran across a girly
magazine and it kept saying, "Just one look." Sometimes, that's
all it takes.
Satan couldn't tempt us if there wasn't some small, secret,
part in us that wanted the temptation. The same advice we give
our children works for us. Just say, "No."
When we come to the place we no longer want the temptation, we
don't want that path, we know it will hurt us, and we wish the
temptation to forever go away ... then God says, "Your wish is
my command," or words of like meaning.
Instead of asking God to help "us" with our temptation (works -
II Ti. 1:9), we can ask Him to forever remove it. Committing it
to God makes Him the Divine Keeper (II Ti. 1:12, I Pe. 4:19).
What God does is a done deal and that's a load off our backs!
He made a way to escape, I Co. 10:13. Now, that's Good News!