DAILY READINGS IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

May 8. Enduring Temptation

"Lead us not into temptation — but deliver us from evil." Matthew 6:13

It is impossible to live in this world — and escape temptation. In olden times, Catholic monks fled away from active life and from human companionships, hoping thus to evade enticement to evil. But they were not at all successful; for wherever they went they carried in their own hearts a fountain of corruption, and were thus perpetually exposed to temptation.

The only door of escape from all temptation — is the door that leads into Heaven! We grieve over our Christian friends whom the Lord calls away; but do we ever think that we have far more reason for concern, possibly for grief — over those who live and have to battle with sin in this world? Those who have gone to Heaven, in the victorious release of Christian faith, are forever secure; but those yet in the sore battle, are still in peril.

This petition is a prayer that we may never be called needlessly to meet temptation. Sometimes God wants us to be tried, because we can grow strong only through victory. We have a word of Scripture which says: "Blessed is the man who endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life." Yet we ought never ourselves to seek any way of life — in which we shall have to be needlessly exposed to the peril of conflict with sin. Temptation is too terrible an experience, fraught with too much danger — to be sought by us, or ever encountered — except when God leads us in the path on which it lies. We must never rush unbidden or unsent into any spiritual danger. There are no promises for presumption. "It is written," said the Master, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." When God sends us into danger, we are under His protection; when we go where He does not send us, we go unsheltered.

 THE WIT OF WILL ROGERS:

Remembering Betty Hoffman 

 

 Lincoln Quote

 PRESIDENTIAL QUOTE - ANDREW JOHNSON

 DAILY BREAD

Jesus Wrought Great Miracles.

"He was declared to be the Son of God with power." Romans. 1:4.

The deeds which Jesus performed exactly correspond to what the prophets said the Messiah would do. What deeds was the Messiah to perform according to the prophecies of the Old Tes­ tament? In the thirty-fifth chapter of his prophecies, Isaiah says of the Messiah and of His time: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing.” And when Jesus came, He could refer to this very prophecy, saying, “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up.” Jesus means to say, How can you doubt that I am He that should come? Do you not see that I am performing exactly those deeds which, according to the prophecies, the Messiah was to perform?

The four gospels of the New Testament are almost one con­ tinued narrative of divine miracles wrought by Jesus, and these were written that we should believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, believing, we might have life through His name.

When Jesus had performed His first miracle in Cana of Galilee, we are expressly told of His disciples: “And His dis­ ciples believed on Him.” Think of the ever-increasing astonish­ ment of His disciples as they witnessed His miracles and became convinced that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. How they must have praised their great fortune of being per­ mitted to be with Him! God is constantly manifesting His glory all around us. Every new day, every new crop, every new­ born child, is a miracle as great as the turning of water into wine or the stilling of the storm on the Sea of Galilee, yes, even greater.