God doesn’t tempt people. Where does temptation come from? James tells us…Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. Our own desires! What are you thinking? That is the desire of your heart. Your thoughts. What do you think you want? Are you actually coveting something that someone else has? Coveting? A bigger house, car, kitchen, wardrobe…or a vacation to some exotic place or sporting event?
"You must not covet your
neighbor's house. You must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female
servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:17
God was
pretty clear with the Israelites when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments which
are applicable today. Do not covet. Don’t desire to have anything that belongs
to someone else. Paul gives a lengthy discussion of covetousness and sin in
Romans.
Well then, am I suggesting that the
law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my
sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said,
"You must not covet." But sin used this command to arouse all kinds
of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that
power. At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned
the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I
died. So I discovered that the law's commands, which were supposed to bring
life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and
deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. But still, the law itself is
holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. Romans 7:7-12
When our yearnings
are good—not covetous—then God is pleased to grant those requests.
May he grant your heart's desires
and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy when we hear of your
victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the LORD answer
all your prayers. Psalm 20:4-5
Don’t be
deceived by sin. Keep your desires in line with God’s laws. Please Him in all
you think, say, and do. It is our choice.
And
remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting
me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These
desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives
birth to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. James 1:13-16
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, help me to be focused on You and on the right living…righteousness…of
God. Holiness. I want to live to please You. To love God and to love others as
myself.
Meditate.
Consider God’s word and listen to what He is saying.
Verse
of Salvation ~ So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the
gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the
world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your
old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better
then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you
is holy. 1 Peter 1:13-15
Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
 |
| Crave some fresh foods--even green tomatoes... rather than sweets. |
I crave sweets, but that is not what I desire. I desire to lose a few more pounds and most importantly...inches. It is not healthy to have extra inches of fat around one's middle. Hazard for heart problems and diabetes. I'd rather not have either of those...so it is time to cut back on crackers, cereal, and ice cream! Intermittent fasting. does wonders, as does fasting in general--one or two days a week. I've seen miraculous results with an acquaintance's 800 calories a day diet. No coveting, just a healthy desire to lose a few inches! Not much feasting around my table today.
d© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek.
All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character
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