Great Escape

Of the many areas in my life that I'm growing in trust, the area of temptation demands the greater trust in His provision to make a way through and out of that trying moment.

In fact, the promise that God makes for a way of escape (I Corinthians 10:13) means just that in the original language. The word escape in Greek means properly, moving out from and to the outcome (Biblehub.com).

While temptation often means an end to one's selfish desires; it can also be an opportunity of a supernatural advancement (outcome) to greater freedom and assurance in His power to deliver.

We see this when Jesus was confronted by the Devil in the wilderness. Christ went in hungry and weak but came out in power! (Luke 4:14). Only God can take our most tempting moments and transform them into places of power and strength.

Beloved, such tempting places will soon lose their grip over our hearts and minds because we have seen Christ in that moment take our hand (much like Lot's family) and drag us out to save us.

Trust in Christ is not the issue when we are tempted because He never fails to deliver. The problem is a deep seated attitude that if truth be told we rather toy and play with fire or at least get close enough to somehow say we hadn't given fully over to what tempts us. As I have so often learned, temptation is a snake that can turn and bite suddenly, leeching a paralyzing poison into the spiritual life.

James addresses this mind set in his letter. He states, "each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." (1:14). I believe we must learn to trust God before temptation grows stronger by surrendering our desires (no matter how good or bad) in exchange for His desires. His desires are pure, not clouded or dark, only holy, just and true.

No matter how our flesh groans and is provoke by what is entices us - we must cry out for His desires to consume us - and we must ask for new eyes to see not just the end of temptation and what destruction it may bring (like an end stage of a disease) but what God offers if we allow Him to take us from that to this place of power.