Episode 2770 - Lesson 9 - Sunday May 24 - Distractions and Temptations

Distractions and TemptationsRead about Samson’s temptations in Judges 14 and Judges 16:1, 4, 16, 17. Although called by God for a specific purpose, Samson served God while giving in to temptation. What does the outcome of his life teach us?The great controversy is real, and we are all involved in it. The cosmic battle that began in heaven is now being played out in each of our own lives as well.Satan knows that he has to pull out everything he’s got in the times that we’re living in, right before Jesus comes, to keep us from having a close relationship with God. Perhaps you’ve been distracted with something that may not necessarily be wrong in itself, but takes so much time and energy that there’s very little left for God. Maybe it’s work, social media, shopping, sports, or food. When we take a good hard look at ourselves, we’ll see that overconsumption and an imbalance of any of these things can allow for little time for God and others. The enemy knows each of our weaknesses and the kinds of things that distract us from spending time with God. We should remember to seek God first (Matt. 6:33) before rushing into our day and all that may come our way.Jesus understands our condition, but He rebukes our apathy (Rev. 3:14-22). Although He is God, He was also a human being who felt tired, as we do (John 4:6). He knew the pressures of life, as we do, but He often got relief by going away alone to pray to His Father (Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Mark 1:35, Matt. 14:23). He knew that time with His Father was the best thing He could do to regain strength to battle temptations. It’s the best and surest way for us, too.Samson fell because he thought he was strong. He depended on his own strength to overcome temptations. Every day, each of us faces battles with sin as the enemy of souls tries to weaken and destroy our relationship with God. He knows our weaknesses and zeroes in on them in order to dull our relationship with God and to bring guilt and a sense of unworthiness upon us, all of which tend to drive us away from God. The devil works to shift our thinking, our intentions, and our actions in order to gain a stronghold in some part of our lives. But remember: Our faith will help us to stand, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God.What are you struggling with now? How can the Word of God help you right now?