| Just Our Nature |
Just Our Nature
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires
and enticed.
— James 1:14
We all know what it is like to be tempted. But where does temptation
come from? It does not come from God. James 1:13–14 says, "Let no
one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be
tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is
tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." We
play a key role in our own temptation.
It is like the scorpion who wanted to cross a pond. Scorpions can't
swim, of course, so he needed a ride. He walked up to a rather
unsuspecting turtle and said, "I was wondering if you might give me a lift
across this little pond?"
The turtle said, "Are you joking? You will sting me, and we will both
drown."
The scorpion said, "My dear turtle, if I were to sting you, I would go
down with you. Where would the logic be in that?"
As they made their way across the little pond, the scorpion pulled out
his stinger and gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the
bottom, the turtle turned to the scorpion and said, "There was no logic in
stinging me. Why did you do it?"
The scorpion replied, "It has nothing to do with logic. It's just my nature."
This is a good point. When we give in to temptation, it has nothing to do
with logic. It is just our nature. We like to say, "The devil made me do it"
or "Circumstances overwhelmed me" or "I couldn't control myself." But
in reality, it's just our nature.
Let's not give in to the enticement of our own desires.
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires
and enticed.
— James 1:14
We all know what it is like to be tempted. But where does temptation
come from? It does not come from God. James 1:13–14 says, "Let no
one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be
tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is
tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." We
play a key role in our own temptation.
It is like the scorpion who wanted to cross a pond. Scorpions can't
swim, of course, so he needed a ride. He walked up to a rather
unsuspecting turtle and said, "I was wondering if you might give me a lift
across this little pond?"
The turtle said, "Are you joking? You will sting me, and we will both
drown."
The scorpion said, "My dear turtle, if I were to sting you, I would go
down with you. Where would the logic be in that?"
As they made their way across the little pond, the scorpion pulled out
his stinger and gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the
bottom, the turtle turned to the scorpion and said, "There was no logic in
stinging me. Why did you do it?"
The scorpion replied, "It has nothing to do with logic. It's just my nature."
This is a good point. When we give in to temptation, it has nothing to do
with logic. It is just our nature. We like to say, "The devil made me do it"
or "Circumstances overwhelmed me" or "I couldn't control myself." But
in reality, it's just our nature.
Let's not give in to the enticement of our own desires.
| C4W Devotions are used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000 Riverside , CA 92514 |