God Promises a Way Out
Do you ever feel like your temptations are unique?
Verse of the Day
“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
Today’s Devotional
There are three distinct parts of today’s promise. They are: (1) the fact that our temptations are not unique, (2) that God won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear, and (3) that He provides a way out. Let’s take a look at all three.
Our temptations are not unique. One of the tools of the devil is to convince each of us that we are the only ones struggling with certain things. This might sound like:
“If anyone finds out about this, no one will ever accept me.”
“I’m a freak.” or “I’m such a loser.”
“No one would understand what I’m going through.”
“I’m the only one who deals with this.”
These are all lies. If the devil can keep us isolated, he has a better chance at winning. And I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but you are not unique. You are special, and valuable, and dearly loved, and God made no one else like you. But the truth is that all of us struggle with similar temptations. The specific details of your temptation might be different from mine, but if we take away the particulars, we will see pride, fear, insecurity, lust, gluttony, sloth, lies, control, and selfishness. God made us, so He knows how we are tempted. And He knows that we are all tempted by similar things. Thinking your sin struggle is unique is a lie. It’s time that we force ourselves to see the truth.
God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. This implies that we will be tempted. It’s part of the human experience. If the devil is leaving you alone, it’s likely because you are not a threat to him. Everyone who believes in Jesus and is trying to live a Jesus-focused life is going to experience temptation. But…God limits how intense these temptations are. And the limits God sets are not based on your personal strength. One commentary puts it this way: “God has promised to supervise all temptation that comes at us through the world, the flesh or the devil. He promises to limit it according to our capability to endure it – according to our capability as we rely on Him, not our capability as we rely only on ourselves.”
God promises a way out. If we are being tempted, and we are trying not to give in to sin, there will be another option. God promises that. But we must be looking. And often the way out will be difficult. Look at the story of Joseph in Genesis 39. His boss’s wife is trying to get Joseph to sleep with her, yet he continues to say “no”. One day when she grabs him, and his only option is to flee, leaving his cloak behind. She then tells everyone that Joseph tried to rape her. And she has the cloak as her “proof”. Which lands him in prison. So…God provided a way out, but it was not the solution Joseph would have chosen.
Barclay says the word for “a way of escape” is really a mountain pass, with the idea of an army being surrounded by the enemy, and then suddenly seeing an escape route to safety. Like a mountain pass, the way of escape isn’t necessarily an easy way.
The other thing I notice is that the way out is not provided to relieve the tension of temptation, the way out allows us to ENDURE the temptation. This assumes that resisting temptation is not supposed to be pleasant. It’s supposed to be obedient.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How have you believed the lies that your temptations were different from what other people struggle with?
How had God provided a way out for you in the past?
How hard are you looking for an escape from your temptations? Or do you indulge them?
Do you believe that God limits what you must deal with?
How does this promise build your trust in God?