THE FAMILY ALTAR
May 26.
"And lead us not into temptation." Matt. 6:13.
Says Dr. Luther : "We cannot prevent the birds from flying
over our head, but we can prevent them from building their nests
in our hair." In other words, we cannot hinder the devil, the
world, and our flesh from tempting us to misbelief, despair, and
other great shame and vice; but with the help of God we can
resist and overcome their evil designs. Our heavenly Father has
given us two tried and approved weapons with which to withstand
their attacks and to gain the victory over them in every battle.
The first weapon is prayer. In every temptation let us earnestly
and persistently cry to our heavenly Father that He would guard
us and keep us from their power; and though we be assailed by
them, that He would strengthen us in the fight that we may over-
come the temptation. The other sure weapon of defense is the
written Word of God. When our Savior was tempted by the devil
in the wilderness, He victoriously beat back every attack of the
Prince of this world with the declaration: "It is written/' We
see how necessary it is for us to know our Bible, that we may have
the weapon at hand when suddenly and cunningly tempted by the
enemy. And let us never forget how repeatedly God's holy Word
warns us to avoid all occasions for sin. Whoever runs recklessly
into danger generally perishes in it. Let us heed that warning.
You cannot look at the suggestive pictures so often displayed in
the "movies," you cannot read an unclean book, without sully-
ing your soul. You cannot be a friend of the unbelieving children
of the world without denying your Lord. Eemember overconfident
Peter in the court-yard of the high priest! There is only one
safe plan for escaping temptations, and that is: Run away from
them. When pious Joseph was tempted, he fled; and the holy
Apostle John would not stay in the company of the heretic Cerin-
thus who denied the divinity of Christ, but at once left the place.
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord; and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My
sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. 6:17. 18.)
Dear heavenly Father, Thou knowest how we, Thy wayfaring children,
are beset by so many enemies in this world's wilderness and have not the
power in ourselves to resist them. We pray Thee, therefore, do Thou
undertake for us and graciously defend us when they assail us. O help
us through Thy Holy Spirit to watch and to pray, lest we fall in these
temptations; our spirit, indeed, is willing, but our poor flesh is so weak.
Hear us for Jesus' sake. Amen.
