April 21
The Purpose
of Temptation
1 Corinthians 10:13
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.
Daily Steps
When difficulties include strong temptations to sin, it can lead to despair and a feeling of being abandoned by God. This verse offers the new believer immense peace by revealing God's sovereignty even over temptation, guaranteeing His provision for your escape.
The peace in this divine guarantee is triple-layered:
Temptation is Normal: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind." Your struggle is not unique. This removes the anxiety of isolation and the lie that your temptation is somehow worse than others'.
God Sets the Limit: "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." This is a profound statement of God's sovereignty. He places a loving, firm boundary around every temptation, ensuring that it never exceeds your divinely-supplied capacity to endure.
God Provides the Escape: "But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." This removes the feeling of inevitability. God doesn't just limit the struggle; He actively prepares an exit ramp or a means of escape, even before the temptation reaches its peak.
Your peace in difficulty is secured by trusting God's faithfulness to limit the trial and His provision to deliver you from the power of temptation. You are never left defenseless or without hope.
Reflective Question
What specific temptation are you currently struggling with that feels "beyond what you can bear?" How can you stop fighting it in your own strength and consciously look for the "way out" that God has already provided for your escape?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess that temptation often leads me to despair and doubt Your presence. I thank You for Your faithfulness to limit my struggle. I claim Your promise today: You will provide a way out. Strengthen me to look for and take that escape route, securing my peace and victory through Your sovereign provision. Amen.
