Finish Strong! {1 Corinthians 10}
12:30 AM
There are those that believe, even teach that 1 Corinthians 10:13 proves that life for a believer will be wonderful! “Just follow the Lord and all your cares will disappear, for He will never give you more than you can bear!” I know that sounds very desirable and may have convinced some to follow the Lord, but that’s not at all what the verse is saying! What happens when life gets hard? What will a person think when they feel pressed on all sides, knocked down and unable to keep going? What will happen then?
I’ll bet we’ve all felt that way a time or two. Even Paul talked about it in his second letter to the Corinthians, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”(2 Corinthians 4:8-9) Yikes! I don’t see these verses being added to the recruitment pamphlet!
It's important to note that the same word for temptation can also be used for trial and both can fit into 1 Corinthians 10:13,“ No [trial or] temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
It's important to note that the same word for temptation can also be used for trial and both can fit into 1 Corinthians 10:13,“ No [trial or] temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
The truth is 1 Corinthians 10:13 does offer all of us hope when those trials do come and we begin to feel like we just can’t go on another step! We only need to look back to the verse to prove it! Scriptures says He will always provide us with a way of escape, so that we may endure or bear it. (1 Cor 10:13). The word for “endure” is defined as, to hold or remain firm under a load. So, to bear up under a trial or temptation does not mean that they will never come, or that it will never press you on all sides to your breaking point, but it does promise us that the Lord will provide us with a “way of escape”. We may discover however, that it comes once we realize that we can’t possibly endure another moment and we cry out to our Father for help!
There have been many times in my life when I've faced trials of some sort and managed to muddle through and survived to move on, until one year I faced such difficulties that I thought there wasn't enough strength within to keep going. I always thought of myself as the daughter striving to please everyone especially my heavenly Father, not that I was always successful, but in my mind I guess I was! But this one year, The Lord kept taking everything away; my home and moved me to a new one...my job...my church... my ministries ...my friends...my family... my children (we became empty-nesters over night)... my sense of purpose... All the while, I tried to put on a "happy-face", dawn my "rose colored glassed" and press on, until the final straw was placed and I sunk to the floor! Literally! I sat on the floor in the sitting-room where I usually met with the Lord each day and cried out to Him that I couldn't get up and keep going! All my strength had evaporated and was gone! It was then I learned one of the most important truths we need in this life!!
There have been many times in my life when I've faced trials of some sort and managed to muddle through and survived to move on, until one year I faced such difficulties that I thought there wasn't enough strength within to keep going. I always thought of myself as the daughter striving to please everyone especially my heavenly Father, not that I was always successful, but in my mind I guess I was! But this one year, The Lord kept taking everything away; my home and moved me to a new one...my job...my church... my ministries ...my friends...my family... my children (we became empty-nesters over night)... my sense of purpose... All the while, I tried to put on a "happy-face", dawn my "rose colored glassed" and press on, until the final straw was placed and I sunk to the floor! Literally! I sat on the floor in the sitting-room where I usually met with the Lord each day and cried out to Him that I couldn't get up and keep going! All my strength had evaporated and was gone! It was then I learned one of the most important truths we need in this life!!
When we come to the end of ourselves we'll discover that this is precisely where He wants us! Completely and utterly depending on Him!! He desires that we,“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5). He wants us to rely on Him so completely and watch Him as He comes running to the rescue (Ezekiel 34:11-12). He tells us, "Not by [your] might nor by [your] power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts."(Zechariah 4:6) He promised that day I would get up, but this time by HIS power and not mine! That has made all the difference in my life!!
You see, He gives us more than we can bear ourselves by design, for we would have no need for Him, nor our Savior Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, if we could do it all ourselves and if He never gave us more than we can handle on our own.
What we should be asking ourselves the next time we find ourselves facing trials or temptation, honestly everyday is, “Am I relying on the Lord’s strength or my own?” If our own, let us then remember His promises to us:
“The LORD will fight for you....” (Exodus 14:14)
"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 endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We need to change our minds by replacing the temptation with the truths found in His word. (Romans12:1-2) And be prepared to go to battle!
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” -Ephesians 6:10-17
There is no better way to prepare for the next battle than by planting His words in your mind, (memorizing Scripture) so that His Spirit will help you recall them when needed, and finally, “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” -Ephesians 6:18
God never promised this life would be easy, but He does promise us victory in it!! Can you remember a time when He showed up and showed off at just the right time!? I hope you'll share it with the rest of us!
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