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Every day I pray and battle with my mission to start pleasing God and stop satisfying myself and appeasing others. Defeats in this battle have cost me a lot, where prayers, praise and God’s Word have brought some miraculous victories. It is not because my daddy is a preacher or because I was always in church, that I see God not as a casualty but a necessity. However, at 23 my experiences and understanding that IT MAY NOT BE EASY TO DO THE RIGHT THING BUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF DOING THE WRONG THINGS ARE TOO HARD TO DEAL WITH, have brought the Sunday school lessons, the sermons, and the prayers into perspective. Being perfect is unpractical but being young and saved is not! I've done a whole lot of something for nothing. But after meeting Jesus Christ I decided I would give anything to have Him as my Everything!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

TAKE YOUR WAY OUT

BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY!!!

1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation (or trial) has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted (or tried) beyond what you are able, but with the temptation (or trial) will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.


Before I discuss the topic 'Take Your Way Out' I want to comment on the other part of this verse.


First and foremost, understand your trials are not unique! Someone has had the same issue and guess what!?! ...they got through it!


Secondly, God will not put you in situations that you can bear but ...YOU CAN! You can enjoy a man or woman intimately, to a certain degree and still be saved and pleasing in the sight of God.  However, that text you decided to send or the decision to go to his / her place at night puts yourself in a compromising position that God did not intend for you to be in. Why?  Well, one reason could be is His foresight and knowledge that you cannot handle that situation.


But as for the third point, know that even when we put our self in pressured situations, God is faithful and will provide away for escape.  For example, your phone dies, car has no gas and / or you have something else that requires your attention.  However, if you decide to charge your phone, get gas, disregard other decoys...understand, you have just now ignored and missed your escape route.

Scenario 1:
Suppose you are trapped on the second floor of a burning building, and there is no way out except to jump from a window. You are foolish if you don't take this way of escape. The leaping experience might be very painful, but a broken leg is nothing compared to being burned alive!  The promise of the way of escape is not a promise that the way out will be easy to follow. Taking the way of escape to avoid spiritual failure may involve hurt, as pointed out in the illustration of the burning building. But the hurt of "broken bones" may leave the life preserved for further service and glory for Christ. Consider the case of the Christian girl who, because of the explicit teaching of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 6:14, purposes in her heart not to marry the nice non-Christian guy who proposes to her. She will experience hurt and pain as she severs the relationship, but her life will be spared from future spiritual loss. Her decision to say "no" may not be easy, but there will be the way of escape to enable her to endure. It may come as an opportunity to change locations. It may come through meeting new Christian friends. The way of escape may be provided just by seeing or hearing of the unfortunate results that come from an "unequal yoke" in the life of an acquaintance. The way out may even be provided by a renewed conviction of the authority of God's Word, as she yields herself more to the control of the Holy Spirit.


Scenario 2:
To take the way of escape may seem at times to be a sign of weakness or defeat, but this is not necessarily true. The Christian couple, for example, seeking godly counsel because of problems in their relationship are not showing signs of defeat any more than the person running to the ranger for help in escaping the lion. It is not a sign of "weakness" for a couple to "escape" from a threatening situation by running to the safety and security of a Christian counselor. This is very often the way of escape that God provides. In fact, for us not to seek the aid of a mature Christian counselor who "knows the woods" may result in our being "mauled by the lion". Remember that "the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

Scenario 3:
The way of escape will sometimes involve turning away from the "pleasure ship" and committing oneself to the hardships of the lifeboat. Think of the Christian college student who realizes that he is being pressured into a pattern of life that is just one big selfish pleasure trip. It takes more than a little commitment to separate from this lifestyle and get involved with the Christian fellowship group on campus, or the small Bible church in the community. These "lifeboats" are not always the most inviting or glamorous, but they are the ways of escape that God provides and promises will be there. This application is certainly appropriate to more Christians than just the college students. Many growing Christians find themselves being drawn into the pleasures of this world. This world system is a sinking ship. (See 1 John 2:17.) Why risk spiritual shipwreck while the way of escape is still available? Putting the Lord first in our way of living is not only obedience, but it may very well be the way of escape from spiritual ruin.




I pray we take heed to what God is trying to show us and keep us from.  Love, Ashlee
Posted by Ashlee Cooper at 9:27 PM

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