The Great Escape

Written by Jay Hartwell

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Thoughts:
Every one of us will face it, every one of us will make wrong choices with it, every one of us will flee from it at times and fact be known, every one of us will continue to deal with it until our day comes. The question is, what do we do with it. The plight of temptation - A common ground for every person on this earth today and years past.

Lets take a deeper look into this passage - "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful..." These words, when truly believed is enough to carry a person through any situation. We often compare our lives with others or circumstances for good or for bad. In either case we often find false hope or despair. We are tempted to dwell on differences, to a point of idolizing that person or circumstance. We are fed lie after lie and can live in this state for a long time. This is common to man, it's been happening since Eve ate the apple. We can following it throughout the Bible and history as we know it. So, how do we get out of this place? We trust in God's faithfulness, that we will not be overtaken by temptation.

It's one thing to simply say "trust in God" but what does it mean to trust in God. What is involved? What do I need to do? How do I do it?

I know I'm not the only person asking these type of questions cause it's in our nature. We want certainty in an uncertain world. We want control, when control really is the worst thing for us. Trusting in God is simply that - trusting in God. It means you hand over the keys to Him. But it doesn't mean that you don't get onboard with Him. You do have some responsibility in this journey, you do have the adventures in riding along challenging the grips of life. You're just not the driver because you really don't know how to navigate these parts. Guys, give it up. Stop where you are and ask Him for directions. The one time in your life when it is completely okay to ask for directions. Cause if you don't, you can end up hitting every single road block in life there is. I've been down a lot of paths, my own paths, that have always ended up bitter.

Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. - Proverbs 20:17.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. - Proverbs 14:12

Now there are those of us who truly don't know where to start once we've handed the keys over. The hardest part is over, from here on out, trusting in God means looking to him in every and all situation. You'll be tempted, probably more now than you've ever been. But you are now in the seat that allows you to turn with God away from the temptation, the escape. "...who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." Escaping temptation is turning your head, looking out the window and seeing the things that tempt you, then turning to Him who is driving and simply saying "I love you Jesus, thank you for being here" passing right by the thing that would have taking you down a jagged road full of pot holes.

Some have used this verse to say "God will never give you more than you can handle?" I don't know about you, but I've been handed situations in life the I know I couldn't handle on my own. If we were handed things in life that we can handle, why do we need to trust in Him or look to God? We can handle it. Though if you are like me, you've been through some tough stuff or may at some point in your life be faced with challenges that you alone can't handle. Devastating blows that are truly difficult for any human to bear. We have the all reliable, always faithful hope, that God will provide an escape, He is faithful and trustworthy, you will endure...