Devotionals

Be Careful Of Tripping

by Stephen Wong
03/14/21
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“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”       1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NIV

I can still remember the thrill of receiving Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. There was no greater feeling than to know that I was now a member of God’s family. I was no longer a condemned sinner. I was now washed by the blood of his Son Jesus. My heart was flowing with thanksgiving as God opened my eyes to all of the countless blessings I had received in Christ. I was now eager to turn away from all sin and surrender every day of my life to God. However, it didn’t take me long to realise that the battle with sin wasn’t over yet. Many of the temptations that I faced before becoming a Christian began to creep up again. New temptations also arose. Despite all the blessings I had now received, I still had to stay on guard against sin. 

At the start of 1 Corinthians 10, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the wonderful blessings God’s people had received after leaving Egypt. They had experienced the power and judgement of God against the Egyptians, in order to free them from slavery. They had seen God part the Red Sea before their very eyes and rescue them from their pursuing enemies. They had experienced God’s presence with them day and night, guiding them every step of the way of their journey. Even when the situation seemed helpless, they had seen God provide for their physical needs time and time again. However, none of these blessings was enough to keep God’s people from falling into sin. Many of them were tempted and led astray by their sinful desires. Many of them allowed their present hardships to pull their focus away from trusting in God. As a result, they experienced judgement for their sin.

As believers in Christ, we are also no strangers to God’s blessings. The Bible tells us that we have received “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ, we have been forgiven. We have peace with God. We have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have been adopted into God’s family. We have received the hope of eternal life. Yet, despite all the blessings we have received, we should not ignore the warning to remain vigilant against temptation. Just like God’s people in the desert, we are all prone to being led astray by sinful desires and losing sight of God’s faithfulness.

No matter how long we have walked with God or how many blessings we have experienced from him, none of us have become anymore immune to temptation. In fact, those of us who think that we have somehow achieved a spiritual state where we no longer need to worry about everyday temptations, should be extra wary that such pride will ultimately lead us to a great downfall. 

As we seek to stand firm in our faith, let us be reminded of our daily need to stay on guard against temptation in whatever forms it may appear. Yet, when we are in the midst of the battle against giving into sin, we can also find confidence in God’s faithfulness. Our times of struggling against temptation are opportunities to draw closer to God. He will never give us more than we can handle, and he can be trusted to provide us with all that we need in the moment to keep standing firm.

Lord God,

I thank you that you have rescued us and blessed us beyond measure through your Son Jesus. Yet, as we wait for your kingdom to come in its fullness, we all continue to struggle with temptation in all its various forms. Lord, please help us to remain wary of the temptations that we face each day, lest we become too confident and fall. When we are tempted, help us to draw close to you in faith and to trust in you to show us the way through. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen