01- 04- 10 MI DAILY DEVOTION (I Peter 4:13- 15)
IN TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS, WE CAN TRIUMP IN GOD’S MERCY AND HIS FAITHFULNESS
13- “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14- If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15- But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.”
We all went through temptations; and we will go through to a lot more while we’re living and as long as we are here on earth. It means that temptation is part of the cycle of the Christian life.
(I Corinthians 10:9- 13) 9- “Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10- Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11- Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12- Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13-There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Paul warned us of not tempting the Lord Jesus Christ. So temptation could be from us to God. It means that we should not put God to the test, lest we suffer the consequences of our sins as the Israelites did when they cling upon their lusts. (Exodus chapter 32)
(II Peter 2:9) “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”
For Christians, the Lord promised us of deliverance according to Peter, but you have to live a godly life. He said, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations…”
We need to be strong in the faith because Satan, our enemy is not taking a “time out” in his effort to deceive and destroy both Christians and his very own. Sometimes, Satan would start from a cookie in a cookie jar. He starts small to destroy big people, huge ministries and large amount of damages both in physical, financial, moral, emotional and spiritual life of a man or a woman. We know that prayer and the Word of God are our weapons against the wiles of the devil. We must use it to resist the enemy.
(I Peter 4:19) “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”
