My devotional: Temptations

TEMPTATIONS

By Liz Omondi | Email: timestodayke@gmail.com

On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” Luke 22:40 (NIV)

Diana looked at the phone as though it was some forbidden delicious delicacy. She could hear voices in her head whispering, and saying, “Take it. There is no harm in reading the messages. After all, your husband is still asleep and he will never find out that you read his messages. How else will you know whether he is cheating on you?” Diana did not know that falling into the temptation would be the beginning of the death of her marriage.

Desperate to clear the huge loan he had borrowed, Marcus knew as chief accountant he could very easily manipulate figures without the knowledge of anyone and get the monies he required for the moment. When the time was right, he could always play the number game again and balance the accounts.

Eyes glued to the screen of his desktop machine, fingers steady on the keyboard, he seriously contemplated changing the figures. No one would know. Only he had the password to the Excel sheet. That voice came and whispered, ‘do it just this one time. You’ll free yourself from the stress.’ Marcus did not know that this move may cause him lose his job and everything he had invested in.

Shawn excelled in his KCSE exams and everyone called to congratulate him and his parents for a job well done. He was the talk of his estate, school and nation. With so much free time, and waiting to be called to university to pursue the course of his dreams, his parents allowed him to hangout with his friends from the estate all day and into the evening.

Some of this friends however, were already deeply involved in substance abuse. On one of the hangout days, Shawn’s friend urges him, ‘c’mon’, give it a try. Just one shot and you’re good to go. No one will find out as long as you keep quiet’. Shawn knew better, but thought to himself, no one has to know and it would be good to experiment the feeling. What Shawn wasn’t aware of is that many of his peers have been trapped by this lie and bound by the chain of substance abuse for years. They are wasting away in their sickness and in need to help to get out.

Every single day of our lives we are faced with all manner of temptations. When Jesus went to His usual spot to pray on the Mount of Olives, in garden of Gethsemane His disciples followed Him and the one thing He said to them was “Pray that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:40). Five verses later we are told, “When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” He asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

The all-knowing God knew that we are prone to temptation every single day of our lives and therefore ought to pray not to fall into temptation.

Jesus’ disciples who had watched Jesus model a life of prayer were prompted to ask Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” Luke 11:1, Jesus taught them what we commonly refer to as the Lord’s prayer and He said,

‘This then is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,10 your kingdom come, your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” (Matthew 6:9-13)

As Jesus was agonising in that garden, He urged His disciples twice to pray so that they will not fall into temptation. He is the all knowing God who knows and understands our weakness just as Hebrews 4:15 says,

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.”

A few verses after the warning that Jesus gave about praying so as not to fall into temptation, Peter fell into temptation by denying Jesus three times. Luke 22:54-61. The all-knowing God had already seen this coming earlier in Luke 22:31 and He says,

““Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

As Jesus agonised in that garden, praying, perhaps tempted to give up, we are told that an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (Luke 22:43).

Jesus our role model in Christianity knows that we will face all kinds of temptation in our lives and we need the strength to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says,

“13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. 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 endure it.”

Just before He began his ministry, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert to the tempted. After fasting for forty days and nights, the devil had the audacity to come and tempt Him, the Son of God.

What about us? Thank God we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ who daily intercedes for us, just like He did in Peter’s situation. Thank God we have Jesus Christ who modelled a life of prayer and urges us to pray daily so that we do not fall into temptation. We are weak, yet He is strong!

Before we embark on our daily activities may we always remember to pray so that we do not fall into any temptation that the tempter may bring our way.