“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” – Matthew 4:1
In talking about handling sexual temptation, Max Lucado writes: “‘I’m at my desk in a hotel room far from home. The voices that encourage me are distant; the voices that entice me are near. A placard on my nightstand invites me to the hotel lounge “to make new friends in a relaxing atmosphere”. Another on the top on the TV promises late-night movies that will “make all my fantasies come true”. In the phone book several columns of escort services offer “Love away from home”. Voices! Some for pleasure, some for power. The world hammers at your door. Jesus taps. The world promises fleshly pleasure; Jesus promises us a quiet dinner with Him: ‘…I will come in and eat with him, and he with me’ (Revelation 3:20). Which voice will you obey? So how should we handle tempting situations? In two ways: First, by filling your mind with Scriptures so that your first response is always, ‘It is written.’ Second, by keeping your eyes on Jesus. – Years ago my father used to put a bit of meat on the floor near his dog and say, “No!” The dog never touched it. But he never looked at it either, because if he did the temptation to disobey would have been too great. He just kept looking at my father’s face. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Psalm 34v5 says, ‘Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.’”
We each face temptations, but through Jesus can we overcome any temptation. Today in prayer, pray that Jesus would lead you away from all temptation so that you may walk with Him.
“If you're losing the battle against a persistent bad habit, an addiction, or a temptation, and you're stuck in a repeating cycle of good intention-failure-guilt, you will not get better on your own. You need the help of other people. Some temptations are only overcome with the help of a partner who prays for you, encourages you, and holds you accountable.” - Rick Warren
God’s Word: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” – Matthew 6:13
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