Category: Temptation

Samson's Weakness

10/4/2019

Judges 14:1, “Samson went down to Timnah and SAW A WOMAN in Timnah, one of the daughters of the Philistines.” And Judges 16:20 is another summary theme: “And Samson awoke from his sleep and said, ‘I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.”

These two verses highlight the two major themes developed in Samson's life:

Samson was living by what his eyes saw, even when it was forbidden by God.
Samson thought that there were no consequences for breaking his vow to God.

Most people who have heard of Samson know about “Samson and Delilah,” but there are actually three women in the story of Samson: all of them are Philistines and all of them appeal to his eyes and desires.
At least five times Samson broke his Nazirite vow, but only on the last time do we see the complete collapse of his life.

When you put the two threads together, what we see is that
Samson was a man set apart for God’s purposes, who instead was living for his own pleasures,
And thinking there were no consequences for doing so.

God is with you, Mighty Man of Valor!

9/25/2019

I've been really challenged by the lesson of Gideon this week. Here are the highlight thoughts:

Gideon Judges 6-7 transcript pdf

"Don't Believe It!"

9/18/2019

“Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.
“Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Luke 8:11-12

The Seed Doesn't Change.

In the familiar parable of the four soils, the sower goes out to sow the seed.
Jesus explains that the "seed" in the story is The Word of God. The seed never changes. It is good and effective in its ability to produce fruit. It is the soil of the heart that makes a difference in the results.
How often does a teacher or proclaimer of God's Word "see no results" or have someone seem to respond and then watch their excitement "fizzle" and think that there is something wrong with the message? The temptation is to think that something other than God's Word would be "more effective" in producing transformation--or that the power of fruitfulness is in a method rather than the message.

Satan is Actively Involved.

All three accounts of this parable mention "Satan" or "the devil" or "the evil one" but only Luke's account tells us what his aim is..."so that they will not believe and be saved."

Whenever and wherever the Word of God is proclaimed, no matter how small or how young the group is, Satan is ACTIVELY involved in blocking understanding.
His purpose is always to destroy a genuine response to what God has said.

"Your Work Doesn't Matter" (The Enemy's Lie)

7/27/2019

Nehemiah's Work.

Each time I read about Nehemiah re-building the walls of Jerusalem, the details of Sanballat and Tobiah's opposition, ridicule, and even hatred of God's plan stands out in glaring contrast to the events God was moving forward all around them. They were continually trying to stop the work favorable to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, Nehemiah and the Jews poured themselves into the work-- believing that God would give them success (2:20).

The Enemy's Discouraging Lie.

Then came the taunting voices.
Nehemiah 4:1-3: "'What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?' Tobiah...said,'What they are building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones.'"

What was the intention of the Enemy's words? To make them believe that what they were doing would make no difference; that it was inadequate; that to continue to work would be foolish.

The People's Weariness.

At first, the enemy's words fell on deaf ears, because 4:6 says, "We rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart." But then the amount of work they had put into the wall looked so small compared with what still needed to be done. "The people in Judah said, 'The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is SO MUCH rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.'"
Their Enemy's words had sunk in: "It's too big. You will never accomplish it. Your work doesn't matter."

Then, the Enemy moved in with words of fear--ten times they circulated rumors that wherever the Jews went, they would be attacked. The initial verbal assault, "It isn't possible" turned into, "It isn't safe."
Nehemiah 6:9 sums it up: "They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.'"

Every accusation and false reasoning had one goal: for the people to STOP doing God's work.

Strong Hands.

"But I prayed, 'Now strengthen my hands.'“
The people had grown weary of carrying away enormous loads of rubble while picking up bricks, hauling them to the building site and laying them into place, all the while being on guard every minute against possible physical attack by their enemies. Their physical hands needed strength to continue, but their hearts needed strength to keep on with the work God had put before them.

For those who are discouraged and hearing the Enemy's lie that their labor in the Lord "doesn't matter" the book of Hebrews reminds us:
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. Hebrews 6:10-11.

This is Where We Should Be

7/18/2019

The Intentional 6-Hour Storm.

Looking at the event of Jesus walking on water from the disciples' perspective made me appreciate how intricately the TIMING of each part was woven together in order to benefit the disciples.

At the height of the drama, just before Jesus gets there, they are in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, being "buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it." So, why had I never noticed that they had been battling that wind for at least six hours and had only traveled a distance of about 3-1/2 miles?

The wind was the divine "pause button" to keep the disciples safely out of harm's way--but it looked like the obstacle that was preventing their progress.

The Protection.

Rewind the story, and we find that Jesus had just shown His disciples the hands-on lesson of giving the Bread of Life (Himself) to the crowds of 5,000+ women and children. Jesus recognized the groundswell movement to "come and make him king by force" before it happened, and "immediately made the disciples go on ahead of him to the other side." The danger for the disciples was that they would be swept up in the moment of excitement of a false view of Messiah; that they would be dazzled by His provision and not anchored in His person. What needed to happen?
1. Disciples needed to be removed from temptation to join the movement to "make Jesus king by force."
2. The crowds needed to be dismissed.
3. Jesus needed to spend time alone with the Father in prayer.
4. Jesus needed to re-join His disciples before the crowds got to them the next morning.

Voila--enter a wind that keeps the disciples safely in the middle of the Sea of Galilee for six hours.
Can you imagine the disciples' frustration going against that wind?! They were trying to follow Jesus' instructions--and it was hour after hour with very little to show for their work. Were they wondering why the God of Creation wasn't lifting or shifting the wind? Were they thinking that if Jesus were there, it would be different? Were they frustrated that Jesus had sent them "on ahead" into that storm? The truth of the situation was that they were exactly where they were supposed to be...and Jesus was there with them.

The Perfect Timing.

The timing of Jesus walking to them on the water focused their attention back to His person--the lesson they had missed in the excitement of feeding the 5,000--so that they confessed, "Truly you are the Son of God."

The timing of a frustrating wind protected them from staying on an 'emotional high' so that when the same crowds found them the next morning, they would be ready for Jesus' difficult words--words that caused many of His disciples to turn back and no longer follow.

The timing made them ready to answer Jesus' question the next morning, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" so that Peter, who had been rescued from the waves by Jesus just a few hours previously was ready to say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

The timing of the storm was Intentional and Necessary.
"This is where we should be, and Jesus is here with us."

I Already Knew

7/4/2019

The Victory.

Have you ever been writing with a splotchy pen, and in the middle of your page, it suddenly leaked a glob of ink, making the whole page look messy and ruined?
In David's life, the page opens with the shepherd boy's devoted heart to his Shepherd; it scrolls to the courageous heart that stands against giants for God's honor; there is a perfectly scrolled stretch of a surrendered heart that doesn't take revenge, followed by a passionate heart for God's presence to be with him in Jerusalem.

The Defeat.

But then in II Samuel 11, there is the Big Black Splotch--David's adultery with Bathsheba. And when the news of Bathsheba's pregnancy gets to him, he tries to rub the messy splotch with panicked plotting to cover it up, finally sending an innocent man to his death in battle.
David has made a mess on the page of his life--and he did it not in youthful ignorance, but when he was in his stride following God. Somehow, that makes the dark spot look messier and splotchier.
David's repentance and broken heart are evident. And when Solomon (the second son by Bathsheba) is born, "the Lord loved him; and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah." (12:25)

The Promise came FIRST.

But wait. Back up on the page. II Samuel 7--the passionate heart part of the story, before the splotch: "When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you...I will be His Father and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, but my love will never be taken from him as i took it away from Saul." I have always filled in Solomon's name in my mind as I have read that passage, because I know the end of the story: but DAVID doesn't know the end of the story! He doesn't know about the dark splotch and his failures, or that Solomon is going to come from the messy part of his life.

God wasn't caught off-guard, scrambling for a way to incorporate Solomon into His plan so that he could make David feel that he was forgiven. God already had the dark splotch as an integral part of the Big Picture HE was working--before the splotch was ever on the page.

I've noticed that believers often feel more forgiven for sins they committed before trusting in Jesus. There is a false perception that Jesus covers the sins up to repentance, but that I am responsible to keep the page clean from then on. (Note: this isn't meant to imply that we aren't called to holy living!)
I've also noticed that believers who have many dark splotches on the life-page before coming to Jesus, somehow feel that God's purpose for them starts at the point of repentance, and the past is an unfortunate mess that He has to step over to get to His Real Plan for them.

Our disappointment with ourselves and regrets from the past not only fuel the accusations of the Enemy to discourage us, they also keep us stuck thinking that an irretrievable clean page means it is a wasted part of the story.

The truth is, only a God who is both Sovereign and Compassionate can say to a broken-hearted child of His, "I already knew and had it incorporated from the beginning."

An Unrepentant Heart

6/13/2019

What Saul SAW

In I Samuel 13 Saul has 2,000 scared Israelite soldiers waiting to face the formidable army of the Philistines, who had amassed an army with 30,000 thousand chariots and 6,000 horses and innumerable foot soldiers. He is scared and his army is scared. Over the next seven days, Saul's Israelite soldiers begin to desert by the THOUSANDS (I Samuel 13:2,15). What is Saul's hold up? Only that Samuel hasn't arrived to offer the sacrifice to secure the blessing of God for the battle. Based on what Saul SAW in front of him, he concludes that he must do SOMETHING to salvage his dwindling army.

What Saul DID

He decides to offer the sacrifice himself in order to rally his troops and secure the blessing. His mindset revealed a "lucky charm" approach to God very similar to when the Israelites had marched God's Ark into battle, thinking that would assure them victory over the more powerful Philistines. Now, not so many years later, Saul's trust was also misplaced in a ritual of invoking blessing because his heart was far from God.

What Saul SAID

Even as Saul is having the animals prepared for sacrifice, Samuel is walking the last mile or two and arrives as the fire is still smoldering on the altar. Very similar to God's tone to Adam in the Garden of Eden when He calls His first leader to account, He now addresses His first appointed king over His people through the voice of Samuel:
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
And like the first leader in the Garden, Saul's answer shows a lack of sorrow over his disobedience to God and disregard for His ways. Notice the subjects of Saul's answer:
"THE PEOPLE...were scattering."
"YOU...didn't come in time."
"THE PHILISTINES...were assembling."

The question to Saul was an opportunity for him to confess his disregard for God's clear commands and own up to his disobedience.
Instead he deflects the focus onto those around him and defends what seems right to him.

What had seemed so right and logical to Saul based on what he saw in front of him was actually the most foolish decision he had made in his life. When God told Saul that the kingdom would now be taken from him because of his disobedience and given to a "man after His own heart" it was not a "one strike and you are out" situation. Rather, it was the commentary on an anointed and appointed leader who had an unrepentant heart toward his own sin.

When God brings our sin to light through a question or rebuke, a repentant heart will cry out and say, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me!" (Psalm 51:10)

The Back Door

5/29/2019

The Stranger.

The doorbell rings. You weren’t expecting company, so you glance through the window as you move to the front door. You don’t recognize the person standing there with a clipboard in his hand. A neighborhood salesman. Even before you open the door, you are formulating how to politely decline whatever it is he is selling. You are guarded.

The Friend.

The doorbell rings. You weren’t expecting company, so you glance through the window and don’t see anyone there. You realize there is someone at the back door when you hear a light knock. As you move to answer it, you see the familiar face of your dear friend. Immediately your heart warms and your face brightens and you open the door quickly to let them in. They are trusted.

The Enemy.

After the first miraculous signs Jesus performed in Jerusalem, the crowds were in awe. John 2:23 says, “Many believed in his name. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men.” (NASB) Jesus was guarded against the surge of popularity that rested not on genuine repentance of heart, but on fascination with displays of power.

Nearly two years later, Jesus is with his disciples and asks them who everyone is saying He is. He then asks, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter plainly states, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter is a trusted friend. At that point, Jesus begins to reveal that He will “go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” When Peter tells Jesus that He would never have to suffer and die, Jesus recognizes the words—Satan had also tempted Jesus in the wilderness with receiving a kingdom that did not include suffering, if he would only bow to him. At that moment, Jesus spoke to the enemy and rebuked Peter’s words: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

Satan’s most clever disguise was to come through the back door—the door that friends come through--to use a trusted friend to speak the same temptation.

Satan’s attempts failed in the wilderness when he came directly against Jesus because Jesus was guarded with the Word of God. Satan’s attempts failed when he came indirectly through the crowd’s swooning applause, because Jesus was guarded and saw the unrepentant hearts. But Satan’s most clever disguise was to come through the back door—the door that friends come through--to use a trusted friend to speak the same temptation. Satan's attempt failed because Jesus recognized the words and was guarded against the lie being offered to him. His focus was on pleasing His Father, even if his closest friends were clueless to what that meant.

Most of the temptations that Christians face do not come from the world that comes ringing at the front door, because they are guarded against those. Most fall to temptations that come in from close Christian friends that may not be living by God’s truth at that moment—and usually the intentions are quite innocent. Have you ever noticed that gossip sounds so much more gossipy when you overhear strangers talking with each other? But it sounds almost like essential information when coming from a close friend! Or a flirtatious gesture from a stranger feels inappropriate, but the same gesture from a close friend can be dismissed as “nothing”? Or advice from a book by an eastern mystic is immediately seen as opposed to sound doctrine, but the same advice from a pastor sounds so wise? The goal of guarding the back door is not to distrust of our close friends, but to develop a sharp recognition of the temptations that might be coming in the back door with them.

Our enemy is very clever at disguising himself.