Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

April 6
Saturday


UNSEEN DANGER

READ:
James 1:13-25
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Each one is tempted
when he is drawn away
by his own desires and
enticed. __James 1:14
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When I was a young child, our family escaped near tragedy. Most of the main appliances in the house, as well as the furnace, were fueled by natural gas, but a small leak in one of the gas lines put our lives at risk. As the gas poured into our little house, our family was overcome by the lethal fumes and we lost consciousness. Had we not been discovered by a neighbor who happened to stop by for a visit, we all could have been killed by this dangerous, unseen enemy.

As followers of Christ, we can also find ourselves surrounded by unseen dangers. The toxic realities of temptation and the weaknesses of our own human frailty can endanger our lives and relationships. Unlike the natural gas in my childhood home, however, these unseen dangers do not come from outside of us__they reside within us. James wrote, "Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed" (James 1:14).

Our natural tendency to sin, compounded by blind spots that prevent us from seeing our own weaknesses, can lead to toxic choices that ruin us. It is only by submitting to God as He shows us our hearts in His Word (vv.23-25) that we can live a life that pleases the Master. __Bill Crowder

```````````````Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;````````````````
``````````Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;`````````````
`````````````Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,``````````````
`````````And make me love Thee as I ought to love. _Croly````````````
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The unseen Spirit of God is the greatest protection
against sin's unseen dangers.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ James 1:13-25*************************

13 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. 14 but
each one is tempted when he
is drawn away by his own
desires and enticed....

16 Do not be deceived, my
beloved brethren. 17 Every
good gift and every perfect
gift is from above, and
comes down from the Father
of lights, with whom there is
no variation or shadow of
turning. 18 Of His own will
He brought us forth by the
word of truth, that we might
be a kind of firstfruits of His
creatures.

19 So then, my beloved
brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak,
slow to wrath; 20 for the
wrath of man does not
produce the righteousness of
God.

21 Therefore lay aside all
filthiness and overflow of
wickedness, and receive with
meekness the implanted
Word, which is able to save
your souls.

22 But be doers of the
Word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves. For
if anyone is a hearer of the
Word and not a doer, he is
like a man observing his
natural face in a mirror;

24 for he observes himself,
goes away, and immediately
forgets what kind of man he
was. 25 But he who looks
into the perfect law of
liberty and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer
but a doer of the work, this
one will be blessed in what
he does.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

As James deals with temptation, he reminds us of God's heart. In
verse 17, we are shown the generosity of God and the expression of
love it represents. Then, in verse 18, James reminds us that God has
made us for Himself. These truths give solid reason to obey Him.