1 Corinthians 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.
Kind of takes away our excuses for sin doesn’t it? Too often during my Christian life I have succumbed to temptation rather than remember and trust this promise of God. I am too often not an expert at finding the way of escape. But my resistance to temptation has been greatly strengthened the more I study the Bible.
Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
When we are tempted and don’t see a way of escape we can ask the Lord to show it to us. As we grow in the Lord we can make it more and more of a habit to ask Him to show us the way. And we can make it more and more of a habit to resist temptation. Temptations that surprise us or are new to us are more difficult to resist.
When we make decisions without much thought we often succumb to temptation. It often helps me to have a second thought about a choice I must make rather than make the first one quickly. When I take a little time for a second opinion, I often realize the first one was wrong. Many of my first opinions come from my impatient flesh rather than from God. And more of my second opinions come from God. Satan tries to get a step or two ahead of us but God is way out in front of him. It seems to me that one of Satan’s tactics is to hurry us up.
Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Proverbs 21:5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
Proverbs 29:20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Often the way of escape is to wait upon the Lord. The only time we should make haste is when we know what the Lord wants us to do.
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.
