31/05/2013 - THE CROWN OF LIFE

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Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 1:12

In a certain way, temptation can be considered beneficial. Of course it’s not pleasant to be tempted; however, when this happens, we can do nothing but avoid it. The correct would be to not accept the suggestions from the enemy and reject temptation quoting the Scriptures. This way there will be no transgression. Thus, being proved and approved, you shall receive the reward Jesus will give to those who remain faithful.

Temptation isn´t sin itself. The Word of God tells us that Christ suffered temptation in every area, but He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15b). So whenever you feel the enemy is offering you something, do not accept it. This way, when the temptation is over, the power of God will be at your side to serve you. During times of difficulties, you should focus on your reward so that you won´t be deceived by the devil´s filthy lies.

Saul was chosen to become king, but he was seduced by the enemy´s temptations. One time his enemies were about to destroy Israel´s army. Samuel, the prophet, decided he´d spend some time with the king to help him. However, Samuel ran late and Saul burned the offering early (1 Samuel 13:5-13).

In another occasion, Saul was influenced by the circumstances around him, and disobeyed the Word. To him, there was no problem in keeping the Amalekites’ cows and sheep. However, God prohibited him from being king of Israel any longer (1 Samuel 15:1-28). This teaches us that we should never trade what´s written in the Bible for any other offering, even if it seems good and correct.

The same king Saul had sent an order to kill every witch there was in his kingdom. However, when he didn´t feel the presence of God any longer, he found out there was one witch still alive. So he disobeyed the Word once again, and was deceived by a false spirit who said he was Prophet Samuel. This mistake committed by king Saul has caused many people to believe in witchcraft until today.

However, there is no greater temptation than the one suffered by Joseph in Egypt. If he were a carnal man, he could become Potiphar´s wife´s lover. But because He feared the Lord, he fled from the enemy´s temptation and was thrown in jail. The end of this story proves that to be faithful to Lord is worth it – later Joseph was raised as the prime-minister of the greatest nation of the world at the time.

God is seeking for faithful people, and His eyes are searching all over the Earth, looking for those who stand firm on His Word. May He never find you in some immoral condition; may you always be safe within His precepts. God loves those who love Him. The crown of life is prepared; don´t let anyone steal it from you.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares