No Temptation
-Sheri Gourley

You will never set foot on a trail I have not traveled. You will never journey into any jungle I have not scouted. You will never fear anything that I have not fought. You will never venture down any venues I have not walked. You will never hurt from anything that has not caused me pain as well. You will never love anyone anymore than I have loved you. You will never cherish anything more than I have cherished you. You will never see a time when you should face any situation alone. You will never find yourself condemned beyond salvation. And you will never experience a problem with which you cannot deal. For behold, I am the Lamb of God, the atoning sacrifice for all your sins, and surely I am with you even until the end of the age. There will be no trial too tough, no journey too rough, for behold, I am your strength. I and I alone am your peace, love and joy. For I Myself have suffered, and I am able to aid who is is being tempted. No temptation should come to you except that which is common to man; but still, I am faithful! I will not allow you to be tempted above that which you can handle, and will also for every temptation provide for you escape and victory if you but trust in me. For behold, I have already over come the world!

What absolutely powerful and beautiful words! Such a reassuring promise from your Savior! Think about it. There will never come a time when we are a step ahead of the Savior. Never. Never can we confuse Him, never will we face a problem he has not already lived through. Jesus lived on earth for only 33 years, which to us may seem short. But in those years, He faced all of the same problems we have. He went to parties. He went to church. He held a job. He even made His parents mad at Him. Hey I would be mad too if I left Jerusalem and my Son stayed behind! He cried. He ate. He slept through the nastiest of storms. His friend betrayed Him. But not just betrayed Him, betrayed Him right into death. One of His best friends even denied knowing Him when his life was at stake. Oh yeah, He's been through it all. There isn't anything He hasn't faced.

But what about here and now 2,000 years later? Things have changed. If He never had a girlfriend, then how can He understand why right now if I take my eyes off this paper I can see like 4 pictures of my boyfriend Tim? How does He know what it's like the sit in school where the kid next to me would be carrying a gun or truing to push drugs? What does He know about my job where I am over worked and underpaid? What does a man who literally was the peace of God know about all the stress that makes me want to jump out a window? Simple. The man who lived 2,000 years ago is still alive today. He is right here beside me--beside you leading us with His soft Words. He knows what it's like to love someone. He died so you could live. He had an option and He took it. He chose to die rather than to live with out you. He knows about fear. In His final hours, He Himself said He was "crushed with grief even to the point of death" (Mark 14:34). Fear is not foreign to Him. Out of fear He prayed His Father might somehow preserve His life. And stress thing? Yeah, He knows about that too. But when He was pressured, He sought God Hid Father for peace. Which is what we need to learn.

God never left you. And He never turned the heat up so high you'd get burned. Nor did He ever forget you. His thoughts of you far out number the sands. We need only to remember. We need only to pray. "For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are being tempted. No temptation has overcome you except that which is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you be be tempted beyond what you are able, but also with temptation, will provide a way of escape, that you will be able to bear it." (Hebrews 2:18; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Notice God did not say He would remove the temptation, just show you how to deal with it. When Jesus was tempted, He prayed and recited Scripture. Let us follow faithfully in His example, and then there shall never be a temptation we can not overcome.

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