Offended 8

August 29 2013 Offended 8 – Manna by Dorothy Callies

I Corinthians 10:13b “…God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it …” (NLT).  

From Luke 22:31-33, Jesus had talked about Satan’s attacks on Peter and the disciples. Jesus gave a warning that Satan’s desire is to sift the believer, that is, to separate him from God. Satan desires to tempt all the disciples. The word “sift” means to shake, to separate the good grain from the chaff. Satan wants to “shake” the disciples and to challenge God to remove the sense of Jesus’ presence from the disciples. Their love and devotion for Jesus was very deep.

Peter thought he would not be “offended” and that he could be strong enough to follow Jesus even to die for Him. This reminds me of 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT. “If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin. But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”

Jesus said, “I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail” [Luke 22:32 NLT]. Satan wanted to crush Simon Peter and the other disciples like grains of wheat. Satan hoped to find only chaff and blow it away. But Jesus assured Peter that his faith, although it would falter (stumble), would not be destroyed. It would be renewed and Peter would become a powerful leader.

Did you ever face that God’s presence was taken from you? But actually, God has never left you in spite of how you felt. The Scripture quoted, “God is faithful.” You hang on to that Scripture whenever you felt like God has abandoned you. God knows what we can bear and how much we can bear; therefore, He limits every single temptation within our limits to overcome it.  “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9).

Chorus: Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

(Thomas Obediah Chisholm, Sing His Praise)

May the Lord bless you today!