Temptation for Our Good

As I was listening to our message yesterday morning on the omnipresence of God, I realized that there are many times throughout the week and even each day that I do not act as if God is right there with me. The funny (or not so funny) thing is that I thought the same thing last week after the message on the Omniscience of God...I don't live as if God knows EVERYTHING I do and even think!!

I was convicted last Sunday, but I am ashamed to say I didn't act on that conviction by truly repenting. It saddens me that I didn't take to heart the truths I have been learning in scripture. A whole nother week went by and I often neglected to think about obeying and glorifying the Lord in all that I do! Wether I was lazy and took twice as long to clean or organize, or I spent too much time browsing the internet, or I got sucked into a book when I should have been meal planning and making a gorcery list...etc. You get the idea

Well, yesterday's message was like a good spanking! And this morning's desire to once again be lazy was another spanking. I couldn't believe how easy it was to be temted to get on the computer and see what's going on with friends and family, wether it be blogs of facebook or email. Those things aren't bad in and of themselves, but they should never be a priority in my day! I can't live each day thinking my time is my time...it is the LORD'S time! He has given me every minute of every day as a gift to serve him in ALL that do. How exciting should that be??? SOOOO exciting!! How precious that my heavenly Father chose me before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in Him! And He is the one who causes me to be those things!

I was reading today in Romans 8 and was specifically studying verse 28 in MacArthurs Romans commentary: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I was discouraged this morning by my temptation to and even giving in to what I was purposing not to do! I couldn't believe I was so easily enticed by my sin. BUT, I realized what pride was in my heart. Who am I to think I can overcome sin so easily, for I can do NOTHING good apart from the power of Christ working in me! Yes, there was much more I could have done to flee from the temptation, but even then, I should never give credit to myself...it all belongs the the Lord.
John MacArthur said something in his commentary that really impacted me this morning:

"God [even] uses the evil of temptation as a means of bringing good to His people. Just as suffering is not good in itself, neither, of course, is temptation. But, as is the case with suffering, the Lord is able to use temptation for our benifit. Temptation should drive us to our knees in prayer and cause us to ask God for strength to resist. When an animal sees a predator, he runs or flies as fast as he can to a place of safety. That should the Christian's response when he is confronted by temptation. It should cause the godly believer to flee to the Lord for protection.

God can also cause temptation to work for our good by using it to devastate spiritual pride. When we struggle with temptation , we know that, in ourselves, we are still subject the the allurements and defilements of sin. And when we try to resist it in our own power, we quickly discover how pwerless against it we are in ourselves."

My pride has been humbled and my heart has been renewed. Sin will always be a battle, but God will use it for my good and it is with his Word and righteous power that I can overcome it!
~Thy Word have I treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.~ Ps. 119:11