I recently read a You Version Bible devotional titled "A Way Out." There are many helpful scriptures there, but this morning God has me thinking about one that I memorized long ago, 1 Corinthians
10:13, which says that He will make a way out. This verse is often misquoted to say that God won't put more on you than you can bear, or handle. That's not what it says, and that's not even true. God DOES put more on us than what we can handle on our own so that we learn to trust Him. He allows trials, temptations, hardships, difficult circumstances, etc. to come our way so that we WILL trust Him and so that our faith will grow. If we never have to trust God for anything then we don't need faith. God ALWAYS provides a way out when we're tempted. We don't have to give in. He tells us what to do and where to go if we only listen and obey. Whether our struggle is homosexuality, SSA/SGA, porn, lust, filthy language, drugs/alcohol, food, or any other area where we're tempted by the enemy, we do have a choice of whether we give in or not. We have a real enemy that knows exactly where our weaknesses are and will stop at nothing to make sure that we fail. However, we have a much more powerful God who rescues and saves and gives us strength when we're tempted if we'll only listen. He speaks in a still small voice that every Christian can hear if they will. While the enemy screams our temptations and throws them right in our faces, God is ever present and ready to show us the path of escape.
For our Christian loved ones struggling with SSA/SGA, they can choose that way out rather than choosing to give in to the temptation. That still, small voice is still there speaking. Like a fan drowns out nighttime noise, sin and temptation drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit. He's still there speaking, but they've turned a deaf ear to His voice.
God hasn't forgotten us. He's still on the throne. While things may look hopeless, God's plan will prevail in His time. Don't stop praying for the ones you love! God's not finished with any of us yet. We still have to be patient in trials, hold onto God's promises, and keep the faith, and our loved ones have to hear God's voice for themselves. I've read the end of the book. We win!!!
This is today's devotional from You Version, A Way Out:
WHAT YOU FEED GROWS; WHAT YOU STARVE DIES
Sin and your spirit’s health are mutually exclusive. When we feed one, we starve the other. The Apostle Paul most famously talks about this internal battle in Romans 7 and Galatians 5. Why did Paul, and why do we, do things we don’t want to do? Because there is a war between our flesh, whose desire is to be satisfied, and our spirit, whose desire is to satisfy God. This is actually great news for those of us who are looking for a way out of temptation. This means your very actions to feed your spirit are weapons against sin and death.
Apply: Spend time each day listening for the Holy Spirit this week. Write down everything you sense the Holy Spirit telling you to do.
I couldn't say it any better!
Here are the scripture references that I used today. Work on committing them to memory if not for your temptations and struggles then for your loved ones or others who need them for they WILL need them one day.
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1co.10.13.nlt
“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
James 4:7 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/jas.4.7.nkjv
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/isa.30.21.nkjv
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/eph.6.12.nkjv
“and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”
I Kings 19:12 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/1ki.19.12.nkjv