A Need for Escape

I Corinthians 10:12-13 says "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

I read somewhere that temptation is like someone looking through the keyhole into your house but the actual sin is when you open the door and allow that "peeping Tom" to come in. It seems to me that people use this Scripture as an excuse sometimes in that, if they wind up giving in to temptation, they say they "couldn't help themselves".

 It takes strength to resist evil of any kind.  Where does you strength come from?  "My strength comes from the Lord." (Ps 28:7, Ps 121:2) If we are not in communion with God the Father or welcoming the presence of the Holy Spirit, we have no support.  We cannot hear the guidance of the coach if we are on the other side of the field.  So as we traverse the temptations in our lives, we need to stay close to God for His strength and His guidance so that we can search for the "way of escape".  If you were in a corn stalk maze, you would have to search for the exit.  Sometimes there are dead ends, or you get turned around, but if you wave your flag for help, the guide in the watchtower will point you in the correct direction.

Don't assume there will be no temptation because you are a Christian.  Rather, shore yourself up, stay close in communion with the Guide and look sharply for your way of escape.

How to be a True Friend

Service

My devotions took me to II Timothy 2 today.  I have been asking God to open doors for me for service as I am missing the chance to do that and time restrictions and schedules don't allow for me to participate in "structured" events.  So, as is true to form, the Holy Spirit blessed me with both conviction and inspiration.  This devotional reading confirmed my conviction.  Paul is talking to Timothy about service and the different types of service, as far as approved and disapproved service.  He wanted Timothy to serve the Lord with pure motives and clear conscience.  Starting in verse 22, he says, "Flee youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife."  I felt inspired that Paul is encouraging having correct friends surrounding you.  Earlier in the chapter (vs 17) he refers to two people who were negatively affecting the church with their tainted words and twisted beliefs.  Here he is telling Timothy not to be reckless with his choice of surroundings but to choose servants who have the same type of heart that he does to partner with.  I think it is important to remember that friendships are relationships and good relationships take maintenance and hard work.

Friendship

I have been blessed with a friend at a very lonely point of my life.  When I first met her, I was struck by the light of her smile and the peaceful enthusiasm that she attacked life with.  My heart leaped inside me that the Lord had provided a friend so joyful!  We struck up a friendship right off.  Now this lady had twin girls 6 years old, 1 daughter 5 years old, a son 2 years old, and a new born (5 months).  Her husband has the same enthusiasm and he is joyfully establishing a country life for his kids.  They were originally city folks and have now migrated to the country with an 8 acre wooded property, nice house, he added chickens, hunts rabbits out back and just got a German Short-haired pointer puppy (7 weeks old) to add to the mix.  They want to put in a garden and are thrilled with the space God have provided for them to care for!  I stopped by to drop off some plants for her garden one night and saw an exhausted mom, nursing her infant, a puppy begging to come out, kids running around upstairs, dad exhausted, and a niece and nephew who came to stay the night.

The house was evidence of extreme busy-ness. We have tried to get together on numerous occasions to no avail and I was a little hurt.  But then the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and softened my heart.  "Put yourself in her shoes.....how would you be doing?"  I was bothered by this thought for a few days and then an opportunity presented itself.  I had 4 days off in a row and list a mile long that I wanted to accomplish. The very first day, it poured down rain and I had my plans squashed.  So I sat having my coffee that morning and praying and the Holy Spirit said, "Go see your friend."  So I took my daughter and we went to see her.  It was 9:30 in the morning and we walked into the house to see her daily mayhem underway.  My daughter took off with the girls and was in her glory.  The kids were eating Graham Crackers and milk for breakfast and Ginny was nursing the baby.  There was a huge bowl of celery on the table and her son was apparently learning how to cut celery with a butter knife.  The puppy was crying to go out, the kids were all in pajamas and running around, the laundry was escaping it's space, etc.  I had brought her a bag of fresh rhubarb and she was smiling ear to ear and exclaimed that she was going to try and make jam!  I laughed at her joy and started picking up and wiping down.

Verse 24 says, "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."  The devil had been working on a corner of my mind and a corner of my heart as well.  Until I laid my burdens at the foot of the cross, let the Holy Spirit intercede for me, and asked forgiveness for things both known and unknown to me, I could not escape that snare.  My friend asked why I was helping her and we talked about the things that God was showing both of us.  We talked openly and healed our hearts together.  So I talked and listened to my friend, took the puppy out a few times, cleaned up puppy food, wiped down the table and all the chairs, did the dishes, folded laundry, switched a load of wash into the dryer and found the whole container of fabric softener had been washed with the load, started a new load, cut up and froze the rhubarb for her, planted her strawberry pot, gave out hugs and left her to her day.  I was blessed for being a servant and she was where God allowed me to serve, and I know she was blessed for having a friend who followed the urging of the Holy Spirit.