Monday, May 14th's lesson talks about Trials and Temptations, and our response to them. The short version from this day's lesson:
- trials and temptations are necessary for spiritual growth
- if we persevere in each trial, we'll grow spiritually a little more
- if we fail to persevere, we're basically standing still spiritually, or taking a step back.
- God makes each trial to enable us to grow in a certain way. There are no generic trials.
- We're to apply James 1:2 to our thinking about trials, and consider it pure joy to face trials.
The first requirement for this is realizing that we're to face the trials with all joy. The joy is not an automatic emotional response. It only comes from your walk with Jesus, and knowing that God has created the trial and is leading you through it.
The second requirement is to decide if we lack the wisdom to handle the trial, and if so, to seek God's direction through prayer, listening sincerely with a humble heart willing to listen to God's answer and apply the lesson in your our life.
Whether we're rich or poor, we have to realize that God is the source of our well-being and that we must trust in Him if we're to walk and grow spiritually as he'd have us to.
Wednesday, May 16th's lesson is titled Temptation: The Battle of Spiritual Growth.
First point: Temptation does not come from God, but from our own weakness, thoughts and environment we've placed ourself in. Acting on temptation leads to sin. (James 1:13-14)
I love this quote: "The Devil's power is in influence and deception." He can't force you to sin. You have to decide to give in to the temptation and act on it.
Titus 2:11-12 teaches us to say 'no' to temptation, ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live a life of self-discipline, self-control, upright and godly while we wait on the return.
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