Proverbs 3:5:-Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (ESV)

There was a time, before I trusted in Jesus knowing better than myself, when everything worldly seemed up for grabs. It was a time of exploring our coming-of-age freedoms.  For me this included a girlfriend.  Latterly I realized this relationship was not for me.  I struggled to let go, but did so because I knew God was calling.  God led me into something totally different, ending up in my going to Bible College in 1983!

Since then I have learnt that: just because you can – does not mean that you should.  All the self-centred pride, success, heartache, guilt, embarrassment and shame that I accrued during this time souled-out to the world, left me with baggage to carry.  Not that I was aware of it then, because of the times we lived in.

I had a telephone call recently, from an old friend.  We have not spoken for years, as our correspondence had been reduced to the annual letter enclosed with a Christmas card.  However, because of our past closeness our chat was like it was only last week we had been out on the town, so profound was the connection, which took me off guard.

This dialogue allowed the memories to come flooding in, bypassing my caution.  It was, in effect, a free pass to my soul, despite our subsequent differing paths we had taken.  In our comradery I found myself curiously asking about my ex-girlfriend which was an error of judgement!

After the call, I realized I had lost my inner peace and felt sad and wistful for times past.  I lacked the deep down conviction to put the genie back into the bottle because I was enthralled.  Then I cried out to God to help me to let go of my curiosity, and move on, not to get sucked into reliving the memories of the past again, or worse be tempted to go digging!

When I reached a place of submission, God’s peace came flooding back.  With the Peace came a picture of a lake in a barren wood. In front of the still, dark water was a warning sign that read: NO FISHING!

With the picture subsequently came the word: repentance. Repentance, is an oft overused word in Christian circles, means to turn around away from sin, an action.  Here it was a statement about a completed action.  Having set my back against the lake of past memories I was warned not to return or even wonder, but to look upwards, moving forwards out of danger with Jesus!

I share His solution for all who are caught out looking back wistfully: NO FISHING.

Psalm 32:1-2:- Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity… (ESV)

GLORIOUS!

PRAYER: LORD how sweet is the sound of Jesus’ love and forgiveness to a sinner’s ears, amen.

by Roderick Marshall
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Dealing Wisely with Temptation – by Charles Stanley

God’s Help during Temptation – by Joshua Lim

The post All That Glisters Is Not Gold appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Think about a time in your life when you experienced true grief.

We experience grief when we lose a cherished loved one.  We experience grief when we know we’ve badly hurt someone we love.  Or maybe grief comes from the loss of a dream.  Sometimes we grieve when we know we’ve been unable to reach someone whom we desperately want to help turn their life around.  There are many reasons we feel grief in our lives.

I want you to think about how it felt when you faced that grief in your life, the broken-hearted, gut wrenching sorrow in which your soul cried for release from the pain.

Do you know that when we sin we grieve the Holy Spirit?  The Bible says in Ephesians 4:30:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

There are times when I’m really tempted to sin in which the Lord reminds me that if I do so, I will grieve his Holy Spirit.  At those times, if I really stop and think about how I felt during times of great distress and grief in my life, I realize that I don’t want to cause the Holy Spirit of God to experience grief because of my actions.  Let us not resist the Lord’s prompting to turn away from the temptation which so easily besets us.

Prayer: Merciful God, Abba Father, may I be ever mindful that when I’m tempted to sin, to do so would grieve your Holy Spirit.  Give me the strength to resist the lure of evil.  Help me to choose to do what is right in your sight and bring honor and glory to your name.

By Sherry Yarger
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Temptation – by Phil Ware

•  How Temptations Lose Their Power –  by Bethany Hayes

•   Dealing Wisely with Temptation – by Charles Stanley

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Overcoming Temptation appeared first on Thoughts About God.