At times, we feel the burdens we carry in our walk with God. This devotional reading looks at how God eases our burdens as we walk with Him.
Nuggets
- God keeps us from relying on our own abilities when tempted.
- God keeps us from being outside His presence during temptations.
Some days are harder than others in our walk with God. We struggle with what is right and doing what is right.
God doesn’t want us to be buried under our burdens of following Him. Remember, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt. 11: 30 ESV).
But it sure doesn’t feel that way all the time. Let’s look what Wilcox has to say.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the Habitual Holiness of Heart and Life theme, click the button below.
Here is a running list of nuggets for the theme.
Devotions in the Habits to Keep Us from Evil study
Here is a running list of nuggets for the study.
We are using Wilcox’s sermon as the foundation for this series.
Resource
The headings are Wilcox’s words.
From All Temptations Superior to Their Strength
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (I Cor. 10: 13 ESV)
God keeps us from relying on our own abilities when tempted.
Well, really Wilcox said, “From all temptations superior to their strength, or have more strength given them, answerable to their trials.”
We like to think we are unique. Something that has happened to us has never happened to any other person.
Wrong!
Oh, I get it. Circumstances are different. Our experiences are different. Our thought processes are not the same.
But the temptations are the same. Choose to allow alcohol and drugs to give us peace rather than God. Choose to cheat on our spouse. Choose to lie in a situation to gain something.
Then we try to rationalize it. We are weak. We are unworthy. We’re hopeless in doing what God asks.
All temptations can be boiled down to one thing. Satan wants us to disobey God.
Let’s look at it a different way. Boyd will help us see that. He wrote, “But our text reminds us that there is a limit, within which all human experience lies. Human ability and human endurance have their tether, and cannot range very far.”
Resource
God is in control. He orchestrates the temptations.
I think we have to watch how we interpret “… God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability …” (I Cor. 10: 13 ESV). If we are only tempted to current levels of obedience, we are not challenged to grow.
I think this takes on a whole new meaning when we hook “… but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (I Cor. 10: 13 ESV) with it.
We learn God is still in control. It is only through God’s abilities can we escape the temptation.
If that doesn’t humble us, I don’t know what will!
That, too, levels the playing field. Regardless of what we think our abilities are, everyone needs God’s superior strength to rescue us from temptation.
We can read this another way. We are never tempted to where sinning is the only option.
How can that happen? “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (II Cor. 12: 9 ESV).
God is going to provide an escape route – not removal – during the temptation.
From Sinking under the Burden of Affliction
“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isa. 43: 1-2 ESV)
God keeps us from being outside His presence during temptations.
In Isaiah 43, Isaiah calls it like it really is. He doesn’t pull any punches when he tells them what is and isn’t correct about their relationship with God.
It starts out with “… ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isa. 43: 1 ESV) and ends with “Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary, and deliver Jacob to utter destruction …” (Isa. 43: 28 ESV).
Talk about a continuum.
In between is “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior” (Isa. 43: 11 ESV). Even when God is telling Israel that they “… have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities” (Isa. 43: 24 ESV), He gives them hope.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isa. 43: 19 ESV).
Talk about the love of God. Israel was flagrantly disobeying Him, and He was calling them back to Him.
God didn’t want them to sink under the burden of their affliction.
Did they bring the affliction upon themselves by disobeying God? Most definitely.
Was God going to give them a harsh sentence? You bet.
But God didn’t want them to give up and totally turn their backs on Him. He still wanted to be their God and they be His people.
Alexander had a good description of what God was trying to teach the Israelites. He wrote, “The doctrine taught is that their segregation from the rest of men, as a peculiar people, was an act of sovereignty, independent of all merit in themselves, and not even intended for their benefit exclusively, but for the accomplishment of God’s gracious purposes respecting men in general. The inferences drawn from the fact are, that Israel would certainly escape the dangers which environed him, however imminent; and, on the other hand, that he must suffer for his unfaithfulness to God.”
Resource
No matter what we are going through and no matter the reason for us going through it, God will be with us. He created us, and He redeemed us.
I know I just posted this song not long ago, but it really is appropriate here. When we are truly children of God, we won’t go one sin too far and lose our salvation. We don’t have to carry that burden.
It Was Enough
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Keyboard: Chris Vieth
Parker made a great comment. He wrote, “There are many creations. God is always creating life, and always forming it.”
Resource
God is making us new. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (II Cor. 5: 17 ESV).
Since sanctification is a process, God is always creating and reforming. Sanctification is the transformational process of the mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration; gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit; and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal new birth and requickening that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit to give us new character.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
- The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
Glossary
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
We don’t have to carry the burden of not being perfect. We have to focus on maturing to be as God calls us to be.
Making the Connections #1
Parker had a great reminder. He looked at Jacob and Israel as a whole. They weren’t always something special.
Resource
Let’s flip that a little bit. Jacob was the guy who wrestled with God. He was a cheater and a liar.
Israel was nonexistent. That wasn’t Jacob’s name, and he was just one guy, not a nation.
God takes us where we are and changes us to be as we should. Then He charges us with the administration of His kingdom.
That is when we realize God has created us, formed us, and redeemed us. God created us, and He isn’t abdicating ownership. We are His.
Making the Connections #2
So, what did we learn?
- We are never tempted to where sinning is the only option. God is going to provide an escape route – not removal – during the temptation. We don’t have the burden of our temptations.
- No matter what we are going through and no matter the reason for us going through it, God will be with us. We don’t have to carry the burden of not being perfect. We have to focus on maturing to be as God calls us to be.
We are a work in progress. Fortunately, our Creator is our Remaker. We just have to remain obedient to Him.
How Do We Apply This?
- ABCD
- Focus on God and being obedient to Him.
- Navigate the Sanctification Road.
- Submit to Him.
Father God. You tell us to “Cast [our] burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Ps. 55: 22 ESV). Thank You for not making us shoulder these burdens alone. That You for encouraging and sustaining us. Amen.
What do you think?
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