[Friday's Devotional] - Temptation and Deliverance from Evil

Lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

 

I love these two lines. Two pleases in a row.

 

How tempting is sin?  How easy is it to click on something on the internet that you shouldn't view?  How easy is it to curse that friend behind their back?  How easy is it to spread that rumour about a work colleague?  How easy is it to shout obscenities to the driver of that BMW who has just queue jumped whilst you obeyed the rules of the road and waited in traffic for 20 minutes?

 

All very easy, the road to sin and constant sin is long and easy. However the road to peace with God and no sin looks difficult and hard to travel.

 

I don't have the answers, I struggle with my own sin on a daily basis.  Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.  I go back to God to ask for strength and peace and forgiveness and he charges me up to fight again.  I wish he would take the temptation away from me completely, but if St Paul struggled with it, then why should I have it easier.

 

I know these two lines bring me comfort in my battle with temptation and those roads that lead to evil.  Out of all the lines in the Lord’s Prayer, these stay with me on an almost daily basis.

 

When I feel I may struggle in one area of my life, I mutter these words over and over and they help.  Sometimes, I admit, the temptation is too great and I fall, but we are all human and we all fall short of the grace of God.

 

In conclusion. I love the whole prayer.  And I try to say it daily.  I also know I'm not good at promises and very good at procrastination, but when I begin to struggle, I might pop a post-it in my wallet or on the steering wheel of my car, with just a couple of lines from this prayer.

 

If you struggle with daily prayer, try it, it may help. I wish and pray you have success with it.

 

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom,

the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

Steve Fogo