Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “Tempted” for Saturday, 20 December 2014 - Scripture: James 1:12-18

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional “Tempted” for Saturday, 20 December 2014 - Scripture: James 1:12 Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
13-15 Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.
16-18 So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.
Blessed is anyone who endures temptation.[James 1:12 (NRSV)]
The supermarket aisles were jammed, and customers jostled to be checked out. A store employee helped me unload my shopping cart. As the total came up on the checkout screen, I noticed a black plastic square on the bottom of the cart. I didn’t remember that being there before. I was being hurried along when I realized that the black square was an upturned tray of very expensive steak. I said to myself, You’re going to hold everyone up. Think of the savings! No one will know. It’s not your fault. Amid all these thoughts, I had to make an instant decision about whether to give in to this temptation or do the honest thing.
“I’m sorry but something has been missed” I said. My order was repriced, and I left. As I walked away from the mutterings and shopping tensions, I also was aware of an incredible sense of peace.
Our lives are filled with major temptations. However, Christ can give us the strength to triumph, even in the little ones.
The Author: Faye Roots (Queensland, Australia)
Thought for the Day: God will see and know the choices we make.
Prayer: Dear Lord, keep our hearts pure before you. In the little temptations as well as major choices, be our guide and strength this day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Prayer focus: To overcome temptation
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