Day 375 · Year 2 · Life with God
He will provide a way out
Paul writes to people who keep losing, and gives them hope.
Today's passage
1 Corinthians 10:13
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.
Berean Standard Bible · public domain
Reflection
Three things in this verse will change how you think about temptation. First, it is 'common to man' — you are not uniquely broken. Second, God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. Third, there is always a way out, even if you have to actively look for it. Often the way out is a door you walked past five minutes ago: stop scrolling, leave the room, call someone, get on your knees. The way out is rarely a feeling; it is usually a step.
From the great tradition · paraphrased
John Owen · Puritans & Post-Reformation · 17th c. · England
John Owen taught believers to 'be killing sin or it will be killing you' — not by white-knuckled effort, but by the Spirit's power applied to specific, named patterns in the heart.
Paraphrase only. Scripture, not any teacher, is the authority.
Think it through
- What three things does Paul promise about temptation?
- Why is it so freeing to know your temptation is 'common to man'?
- What specific 'way out' has God provided that you have been walking past?
A prayer to pray
Name the specific temptation. Thank God that he has provided a way out. Ask him for the courage to take it.