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Hidden Power Of Temptations That Defeat Us

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JULYJUDGES AND RUTH
THE HIDDEN POWER OF TEMPTATIONS THAT DEFEAT USJULY 6 2024, WRITTEN BY MARILYN ADAMS
And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”JUDGES 16:5
Samson was a Nazarite, set apart for God’s specific use. His parents were given explicit instructions before he was born. Samson violated them on several occasions. He was a judge in Israel for twenty years, and a mortal enemy of the Philistines. Samson also was an immoral man. He was seduced by a harlot, because his hidden sin inflamed illicit desires. His willful disobedience cost him his life.Samson’s story (which you can read in Judges 13-16) is a powerful message for us when we are tempted to sin. The secret hidden sins of our hearts are the kindling that ignites our smoldering desires into a consuming fire. We blindly walk right into the enemy’s trap set to overpower and defeat us.James 1:14-15 is a behind-the-scenes look at the bait used to entrap us through temptations. It says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”Father, I am so thankful for your word. You have set out truths for me to follow, so that I do not fall prey to the devil’s deceptive enticements. Help me to apply the principles in your word, so that my desires please you.Throughout this day: Listen to Lord I Need You by Matt Maher, and be reminded that we need the Lord who is always ready to help us resist temptation.Share on FacebookSubscribe to Daily Devotionals, receive prayer or share your thoughts with us!
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The Power Of Understanding

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Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” In Proverbs 2:1-6, Solomon gave his son the bookends of gaining understanding ~ if, then.

“My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; 

yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, 

if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; 

then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.”

Understanding doesn’t come from just reading. What we read has to be applied. It becomes part of our heart’s belief system. As I read the above verses, I hear the Lord speaking to me. He wants me to receive and treasure His words in my heart.”

God’s Mercy ~ Part Three

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Ephesians 2:3 says that before accepting Jesus as our Savior, we “…all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath…” Verse 4 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” 

We will never use up God’s mercy for us. Lamentations 3:23 says that His mercy is new every morning. When Moses went up to God on the mountain to receive the ten commandments, here is what the Lord said. Exodus 34:6 says, “…The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.”

In every moment day or night we can boldly approach the Lord’s throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16 says that, “…we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.” What is your need? His mercy is always available to fulfill our need.

Truth Never Changes~Part One

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God’s truth is eternal. Nothing can alter it, nor change it in any way. Our circumstances change constantly. When we bring truth into our circumstances it will change us. Jesus told His disciples that when His truth became their experience it would set them free.

What do you need to be set free from? John 8:32 says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The Greek word know means: to perceive, understand, recognize, gain knowledge, realize, come to know..

It is the truth that becomes our personal experience. One of the truths that literally changed my life was when I found out that not every thought I had was of my origin. The enemy of our soul plants lies through fiery darts. Ephesians 6:16.

When we bring God’s word of truth into our hearts it will act as a sentinel. It rises up from within to deflect lies that come into our minds through fiery darts.

Stress Reduction~Part One

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David was stressed. In Psalm 31 he described what the stress was doing to him physically. Verse 9-10 says, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent in grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.”

At one point in David’s life, king Saul hunted him to kill him. David was on the run, hiding in rock formations and caves. He lived a lot in his sympathetic nervous system. Yet David knew that the Lord was with him.

In Psalm 61 he wrote that he was overwhelmed. Then in verse 3 he recounted how the Lord has been his protector. It says, “For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 144:1 says, “Blessed by the Lord my Rock…”

Nothing Is Too Hard For God

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Job 5:9 says, “Who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number.” Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”

I love Romans 11:33. It says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.”

He knows our thoughts before we think them. He knows our words before we speak them. Nothing is hidden from Him. We can trust Him with the unknowns in our life. Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.

We will never go through anything but that the Lord went before us to prepare the way. David understood this. In Psalm 18:30 he wrote, “As for God His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

Overwhelmed? Cry Out!

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I love the story in 2 Chronicles 14. King Asa had an army of 580,000. The enemy had an army of one million plus 300 chariots.  Verse 11 says, “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude…”

In verse 12 the Lord struck the enemy. Verse 13 says, “…So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army…”

A great multitude had come against God’s people. He instructed them to praise. 2 Chronicles 20:22 says, “Now as they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people…and they were defeated.”

What is overwhelming you? Cry out to the Lord! Let Him hear the voice of your heart.

Out Of The Dust~Part Two

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Psalm 40:2 says, “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.” There is a hymn. In part it says, “I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore. Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.”

The Lord is our Rescuer. I have a friend that was just rescued through amazing God-orchestrated circumstances. His testimony could be as Psalm 116. Verse 8-9 says, “For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.”

I am memorizing Psalm 116. Verse 5 says, “Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yes, our God is merciful.” God’s mercy endures forever. Psalm 136.

Fear Of The Lord~Part One

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I memorized Psalm 111 and then went to Psalm 112. The last verse in 111 and the first verse in 112 were written about the fear of the Lord. This is what captured my mind. Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments…”

Psalm 112:1 says, “…Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.” Noted are two characteristics attributed to walking in the fear of the Lord. One is that they are doers, and the other is that they are delighting. Both were written about God’s word in an ongoing active sense.

You can read Psalm 112:2-8 for yourself. It outlines the fruitful legacy of the one who walks in the fear of the Lord. Descendants. Generations. We have the opportunity to impact and influence others as we walk in the fear of the Lord. 

Distractions: Fear Of Man

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We can learn a lesson from king Saul’s failed mission. The crux of his disobedience was couched in excuses. Let’s pick up the scene from 1 Samuel 15.  

God had given Saul specific instructions. Verse 3 says, “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them…”

Verse 9 says, “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best…and were unwilling to utterly destroy them…” Saul’s disobedience led to his dismissal as king. Verse 22 says, “…Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”

What distracted Saul from his mission? Verse 24 says, “…I feared the people and obeyed their voice.” Let us not fall into Saul’s sin. Let Paul’s example influence and fortify your desire to serve the Lord only. Galatians 1:10 says, “…For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”