With the Temptation

1 Cor. 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].

I was teaching from this scripture the other night at church and I felt that I need to share part of it with you today.

Have you every noticed the phrase in this verse, "with the temptation." Keep in mind that God teaches us as individuals on the level of their personality. Sometimes, my personality can be considered one taco short of a combination platter. However, God gave me this illustration. He said to consider the ink pens that you buy. All of them come "with" ink already. I know, I know, D-u-u-u-h, Bro. Henry. Yes, but think. If you bought a pen that did not have ink in it, you would consider it defective and return it for one that did. Now, read that part of the verse again. God "will with the temptation also make a way to escape." Catch a hold of what the Apostle Paul is saying through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Every time you buy a pen, it comes "with" ink already in it. Every time you buy a loose leaf binder for your school children it comes "with" paper made and placed in the right spot in the binder.

David and his army returned home to Ziklag one day to find their homes burned with fire and their wives and children stolen. But, that wasn't the end of the story. That temptation came "with a way of escape." David and his men had to finish crying. David had to turn to God and talk to him about it. When God finally got His turn to speak He said, "Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake [them], and without fail recover [all]." 1 Sam 30:8. Not only did David and his men recover all, but they got all of the spoils that the enemy had acquired. Do you see? The temptation came "with" a great, jumping-up-and-down-and-screaming blessing.

How about the crucifixion of Jesus. Re-read all the torture He went through as well as the horrible cross. But, "with" that temptation, God "made" the resurrection.

So, the next temptation you face. Get ready to shout because every temptation comes "with" and not "without." Enjoy the day with Jesus.

They That Wait Upon the Lord

Isaiah 40:31-But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

This verse of scripture comes at the end of a great chapter. Read all of it and you will understand this particular promise more and more. The chapter is a reminder to God's people of how big He is, how powerful He is, and (how shall I put this as tenderly as possible) how much smarter He is than anybody else on the face of this earth. Yes, that means He is smarter than me and you. Hard to believe isn't it?
Israel was going through a rough time in it's history. Things weren't going according to all of the promises of God. There lives were just hum-drum. It looked like all the other nations around them were booming with prosperity and goodness. But, it also tells us that the nation as a whole had slipped quite a bit in their relationship with God. Just like the times we are in right now. However, God still had a people that would not be swayed by what everybody else was doing and was struggling to serve Him with all of their hearts. This promise was to those people whose desire for God and His blessings was hot and not lukewarm or non-existent.
Before we get into the scripture, here is a great idea to ponder. Not everyone is in love with Jesus like you and I are. No big revelation there, is it? However, this word today is to encourage you to purposely set your heart on Jesus no matter what happens and no matter whether anyone else decides to serve Him to the degree that your heart cries out for you to do. Now, let's go on.
The first thing this verse says, is BUT. Whenever you see the word BUT at the beginning of a sentence, (ask any grammer teacher) it means to disregard the previous statement. The previous few statements dealt with a nation and especially the youth giving up because the way is too hard and they could not see God's hand in anything. What God is saying to the rest of us is, "Hey. It only looks bad BUT I can turn things around."
They that wait upon the Lord--How much time have you spent WAITING for things to get worse than what they are right now. This phrase is talking about those who are trusting and hoping in God that things are going to get better, just like God said they would. Sometimes as we walk along life's road we step in a cow pattie or a nest of fire ants that we did not see coming. The most comforting thing that I can say is, "Get over it." Stuff happens to all of us as we are traveling to our promise. Just because the path Jesus has us on takes us through a cow pasture and it's astute pleasures, doesn't mean that He will leave us there. This might be where we are right now, but it is not where He said He would take us. Focus on His promise and not the problem.
Shall renew their strength--This particular phrase means to re-gain strength in the same manner that grass keeps growing after it is cut. All of us will experience times when life cuts us down. It doesn't mean we have to just sit there and die. When we make up our minds that God's Word is true for us, His Holy Spirit will begin renewing the strength that we lost in the last battle. A strong relationship with the Holy Spirit is just as vital as reading God's Word. Both will remind us of His promises.
The greatest example that I can think of is Caleb. When God brought His children out of Egyptian bondage and sent them to spy out the land, Caleb came back more excited than ever about the promises of God. He was ready to take on every enemy because he knew that what God had promised, He was well able to do. You know the story. Because of the evil report of the 10 spies that said, "It's too hard and we can't do it," Caleb was forced to wait for fourty years before he could enjoy the promise of God. That's an entirely different message, so let me finish this one. Caleb waited on God and kept looking forward to inheriting Mount Hebron, the mountain that the spies camped on while spying out the land. He fell in love with that mountain and, as a result, he fell in love with the promise of God. When God finally brought them victoriously into the promised land, Caleb told Joshua that his strength at 85 years old was just as good as it was when he was 40. Why? As he kept meditating on the promise and not the problem, the vision of inheriting that mountain grew stronger the the cow pattie he was standing in.
Don't look at what you're standing in and make a decision about God. The fire ants might be causing you some intense pain right now but their sting doesn't last forever. Wait on God's promise. The healing will come. The promise of God is steadfast and sure. AND, you will inherit the promise. Enjoy today!!! You're on your way to the promised land.