Temptations

March 8, 2017

Opening Hymns:
382 Have Thine Own Way, Lord http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh382.sht

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.

 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;

 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."

 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;

 3:3 but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'"

 3:4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die;

 3:5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

 3:7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Message:
It seems to be human nature to want what we can't have, and to be dissatisfied with what we do have. If we saw Adam and Eve as little children left to their own devices, and God is their parent telling them not to do something, it seems only natural that with an eternity they would eventually do what shouldn't be done. Having the snake whisper to them that they should really try the fruit was just a nudge in the wrong direction. Is that all it takes for us to fall into temptation? How easy is it for us to see the will of the Lord, and do the opposite?

Our society has become one of values and possessions, advertisers capitalize on our natural desire to have more. We are encouraged that it is okay, and even good to want more than what we have. I don't think it is a sin to have things. It becomes sinful when our desire for this world, and what we possess takes precedence over our relationship with God. It becomes a sin when we are focused on our own desires that we forget the needs of others. In today's scripture Eve gives into temptation because she wanted to become more than what she was. She wanted knowledge, and desired to know good and evil like God did. She was not happy with who she was. But who she was, was and always will be a child of God.

We can be tempted too, to judge ourselves by what we have, where we work, or what we have done in our lives. We might even put ourselves down, or think to ourselves "If I only was more successful", "if I only had a house" "if only..." How we see ourselves can lead us to more temptation, or lead us to a closer walk with God. If we judge ourselves on what we have or what we do, we could be focusing more on the worldly things... and more focused on ourselves. However, if we focus on being forgiven children of God, we can see that God loves us for who He has created us to be. We needn't worry about our own accomplishments or possessions, for we are fully loved and know that we are God's. When we see ourselves in this light we can stop focusing our thoughts and energies on ourselves, and start focusing on the gifts we have to offer to the world. We can see others as God's children.

Temptations fade away when we stop focusing on ourselves, and start seeing others. Our self image can be re-defined if we see ourselves as God's loved and forgiven children. There is a weight lifted of your shoulders when you look beyond yourself and your own desires. What we have is valued so much more if we see them as gifts instead of rights. The best way to combat temptations in life is to seek God's help and guidance, and the help and guidance of those we love. And never forget that you are loved and forgiven. You are a child of God!

Time of Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for being with us each step of the way. To guide us and protect us. Help us on this day to see Your will for us in our lives. help us stay away from the things that tempt us to pull away from You. Let us share the gifts that You have given us with everyone we meet. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Closing Hymn
 128 He Leadeth Me http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh128.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God