Digging Deeper James 1:13 Points to Ponder

James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Every trial, every test, can be used by Satan to trip us up and tempt us to sin. The old adage "The devil made me do it" is just that, an old adage. As a believer in Jesus Christ, regenerated and redeemed, Satan can't MAKE you do anything. Because of the Cross - we choose. We have all the power of God necessary to obey, to walk away from temptation and sin. God will never put us in a circumstance in which we don't have that choice. 1 Cor 10:13 tells us He, Himself, will provide us a way of escape. We have to decide whether we will take it our ignore it. I admit, I've ignored it far more than I care to admit.

Never lose sight of the truth that God is on your side. He has already won the victory (1 Cor 15:57). He is in the process of making you more like Jesus Christ. That process will not be done until we are in glory. Every trial, every difficulty, every circumstance, every joy, every trouble, every success, every failure, every person, every opportunity, everything is part of God's plan to make you more like Jesus Christ if you are born of God. "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it" (1 Thess 5: 23-24). "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12).

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery and Development at America's KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 26 years. She has 2 children, 3 grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.