Pre-screened

Last week we were talking about how we should not quit and how we need to keep going. Keep moving with God. Keep pressing forward, like the Apostle Paul, to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us, Philippians 3:14.

One of the best examples to look at about not quitting is Jesus. I’m not sure if I God had asked me to do what Jesus did, after seeing people and how messed up they are, I would have gone through with it all. Lol. Y’all would be going to hell, haha. Yeah I said it! Lol. All joking aside, how amazing is our Jesus! He had plenty opportunity to quit but He did not do it because of His great love for us.

As I was thinking about what to write for this week, I started thinking about the temptation of Jesus which is found in Matthew 4:1-11. Today we are going to be looking at the first 4 verses and it says, “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””

Sometimes we have this false belief that tells us that if we are following God and being led by God we are not going to find ourselves in some hairy situations. That’s not true. Our verse makes it clear that it was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness for the sole purpose of being tempted by the devil. Does this mean God wanted Jesus to lose? No. Does it mean God wanted Jesus to give up? No. Sometimes, until we are faced with an unfavourable situation, we do not know what is in us.

The best of us and the worst of us comes out at unexpected times. If God is allowing you to be tempted, it means He has put in you whatever is that is required to overcome that temptation. Temptations and bad times teach us a lot more about ourselves than the good cruisy times.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously.”

See that, our verse is telling us that whatever we face in life has already been pre-screened by God, so we do not need to worry! If we can bring ourselves to only trust in God, we will make it to the other side victorious. That is why it is so important that we know that God is always with us, Deuteronomy 31:6. To keep our eyes on Him. So when, not if, when the devil comes at us, we know the nature, timing and severity of the attack has already been pre-screened by our loving Father and we are going to be alright. Knowing that ought to make you not want to quit. Knowing that is what gives us the fortitude to face whatever is coming our way head on.

We have God living in us, so in us is the ability to win. In us is the power, the strength, the strategy, the fortitude (I’m liking that word today), the whatever it takes attitude, to win. We are not quitters. We are children of the Almighty God. We are strong, in Him. When we are rooted in Him, we are unshakeable and unstoppable.

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano