Tuesday May 13
“Simon,
Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat.” Lk 22:31 TLB
WHEN
YOU FALL
Out of all Christ’s disciples, Peter was the one who
believed that failure couldn’t happen to him. But it did, and in a big way.
Jesus told him, “Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, but I
have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So
when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up the
faith of your brothers” (vv. 31-32 TLB). Notice three important truths (1) We
are capable of falling. Don’t believe that says, “If you were really a
Christian, you wouldn’t have failed like that.” When God saves you, your spirit
is immediately changed. But until emotions, appetites, and desires come under
the control of Christ you will always struggle in certain areas. This has
nothing to do with your salvation, and everything to do with becoming
spiritually mature. (2) We must be willing to repent. The trouble with
temptation is that it usually starts out as pleasure. You think you can handle
it, and when you become ensnared you try to overcome it with your own strength.
But it doesn’t work. The Bible says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to
the humble” (Jas 4:6 NKJV). God’s grace isn’t for the arrogant. It’s only given
to the humble, repentant hearts. (3) Once we are free, we stay free by
helping others. God takes us out of a bad situation to place us in a good
one; otherwise we’ll seek out our old connections. So the way to keep what we
have is, give it to others.
Taken from the Word for You Today Devotional
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