The Sword of the LORD

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..." (Matthew 6:13) Growing up, I was taught to recite the Lord's prayer in Sunday school, and I committed it to memory at an early age. It wasn't until years later, however, that the words began to sink in, and then only little by little as the Lord opened my understanding to what I had learned. Most recently, though, I was brought up short by the words quoted above. I have always considered that temptation was an inevitable part of life, and that there was nothing that I could do to avoid it, but these words promise something altogether different than I had ever considered. They indicate that the Lord is willing to lead me in such a way that I will not walk into temptation blindly, and that He is able to deliver me from the evil that would seek to divert me from following Him. When Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray before His betrayal and ultimate crucifixion, his disciples were unable to s

"Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD." (Jonah 1:1-3) As much as we hate to admit it, there is, at times, a little bit of Jonah in all of us. It's that carnal, selfish side of us that rises up and says, "I want to do what I want to do!" Even when we know it's not a good choice, we choose it anyway. Paul experienced it, and wrote about it in his letter to the Roman believers. He said, "For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." (Romans 7:15) In other words, the things that he hated doing, and in his mind he wouldn't allow himself to do, he did anyway; and the things that he knew were right and good, he found that he had trouble doing. It's sort of like our New Year's resolution

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not." (1 John 3:1) It's an amazing thing that the God of all creation has chosen to redeem us, blotting out our sins, and allowing us to know Him; but it is unimaginable that He would also call us to be His sons and daughters. When I consider what the title of "son of God" really means, I have to look at the perfect example of Jesus Christ. All that Jesus was when He walked the earth - that's what God has called me to become today. Seem incredible? Does it seem impossible? Sure, but it is God Who has called us to this. As long as I keep telling myself that I can never be any more than I am now, I never will be. I'll keep on making excuses for myself, and never grow up into Him. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. It is not my strength, not my resolve, not my will power, or my dedic