1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
My cousin used to minister as a song evangelist going from church to church across the country with a preaching evangelist. He relates that the minister would begin the first service of the week by asking if anyone had every stolen anything—even anything as small as a pencil. Everyone raised their hand. He next asked who had ever told a lie— even just stretching the truth a little. Again every hand was raised. The evangelist would then make a point of sharing with the pastor that he had arrived just in time to preach to a church full of thieves and liars!
In 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul speaks about temptation. He goes so far as to say that any temptation you may encounter has been experienced by others. That is not to say that it is excusable, but it reveals that we all have a sinful nature.
It is interesting that immediately following the statement about temptations being a common affliction to all mankind, Paul says: God is faithful. What a fantastic statement. We may experience the lure of temptation, but God is faithful. God is faithful in so many ways that it is hard to speak of only one, but that is what I want to do: He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
In the book of Genesis we read about Joseph being tempted by the unfaithful wife of his master, Potiphar. Joseph sought the way out of the situation by avoiding her advances and evading any contact with her. You may recall how she falsely accused him leading to his confinement in prison. Let me let you in on a spiritual secret—the prison was a place of escape. Joseph was protected from this lecherous woman by the mighty hand of God. It may have seemed like punishment, but it was the means God used to protect and prepare Joseph.
Rather than becoming bitter by his false imprisonment, Joseph honed the organizational skills that God would later use to raise him up to a position that was second in authority over all of Egypt. Even when it seemed that God had forgotten him, God was faithful!
You may feel as if the situations of life are crushing you down. You may experience the temptation to become bitter because someone you trusted has betrayed you. I have a solemn word of warning for you: Watch out that you do not develop an unforgiving spirit.
Those who have cheated you have their own confessing to do, but your own battle is with the temptation to develop an unforgiving spirit. I trust that God will be your way of escape.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil