Hi all
Blessings and grace to you. Consider the following quote:
We all have cravings that we are tempted to satisfy – not just physiological ones, but also things like people-pleasing, gossiping, worrying, striving.” (© Helen Roberts, Victory in the Wilderness; Day 1 – YouVersion Bible studies)
How does it flavor your interpretation of today’s Holy Nougat™?
where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Luke 4:2-3 NLT
Since being diagnosed with gluten intolerance (that is, allergy to wheat and gluten); this verse reads differently to me. For you see, I have BEEN exposed to wheat in my pre-GF existence. The aromas, the textures, the flavors … comprise some of my most fond memories. Beyond that, I have layered with those memories, the memory of the day when my body confirmed its unwillingness; make that inability, to process gluten.
And yet, far too often, I’m yearning for the desserts and savories of yesteryear. Can you relate?
Naturally I understand temptation quite differently these days, for I can appreciate that it is usually much easier to withstand the temptation I’ve never had than for me to resist my comfort treats (sometimes even when the immediate memory of of what can happen is right before me!). And in those moments, it is only Jesus who is able to keep me, and prevent me from falling. Were this reality television or a fairy tale, our son story would end there; with the illusion of Happily Ever After. But this is OUR LIFE’S JOURNEY. Those temptations can and WILL RETURN. Sometimes we fail, and sometimes – solely by the Grace of God – we overcome.
Let’s celebrate those moments.
But let’s not IGNORE the failures. For, when we face up to our failures, God’s grace covers our failings (sin); and affords us the chance to be restored to rightness once again. Now THAT’S Happily Ever After!
I need Thee, Lord I need Thee
Every hour, I need Thee
Oh bless me now my Jesus, I come to Thee
Thanks for joining us in this Divine feast
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
