TOPIC: THERE IS NO EVIL WITH GOD
MEMORISE:
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. Psalm 116:5
READ: James 1:13-15.
13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
MESSAGE:
Today’s Bible reading clears the erroneous assumption that God experiments with temptations on His children. God does no evil, therefore, if you are His child and are going through temptations, you need to look inward.
We are comforted by God’s promises that He will help His children in the face of temptations. For example, 1 Peter 5:10 says:
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”
Beloved, it is grace that saves us from the condemnation of lust, which lures people into diverse temptations. This is why the Bible encourages us to be sober. A life of flamboyance brings snares and temptations. The story of David and Bathsheba is a classic example. Davis stayed back in his palace at a time when kings usually went forth to battle, thus, he beheld what he should not have- a very beautiful woman bathing (2 Samuel 11:1-5). This same David asked in Psalm 13:1 “How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?...”
God is not forgetful. If like David, you too have been dragged into sin, God is able to forgive you if you confess and repent (Proverbs 28:13). Until you do so, it may seem as if God have forgotten you, but that is not the case. It could be assumed that the sincere cry of the Psalmist to God and his self-examination brought back the reality of God’s love to him. He trusted the mercy of God when he repented, and his testimony was:
“I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:6
I can assure you that God has not forgotten you. If you have erred from the narrow path, He may simply be waiting for you to come back to Him. You have to come in genuine repentance and embrace His love, through His Son Jesus Christ. When you do this today, you will see how near the Almighty God is to you, and how concerned He is about your wellbeing.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, forgive my foolishness for every time I thought You had forgotten me. Help me Lord, to remove every barrier of sin that may have separated me from Your love, in Jesus’ name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 17-21
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 21: ROCK OF AGES, CLEFT FOR ME.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
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