Our scripture this morning is 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.
If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 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.
Paul warns the Corinthians (and us) against pride in ourselves, thinking we are standing strong. Self confidence can become over confidence and that can lead to the fall we often experience. We need a strong connection to the Lord to avoid all this.
God knows the visible, tangible things that attract us – He created them all. They all have a purpose but when we overuse or misuse them, they become stumbling blocks in our relationship with Him. However, Paul writes “When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure”, the fact that He is with us through any temptation we face.
Sometimes this is hard for us to understand. Peter tells us “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19). God is faithful to us, we must put our faith in Him.
Loving Lord, we are sorry for the times we have trusted in ourselves rather than Your strength and mercy. Help us to be Your face and hands in the world that everyone may know Your love. Amen.
