Today I choose to destroy temptation.

I can still remember the first time I read the editorial, "Where was God on 9/11?":

"...He was discouraging people from taking those four flights. Together they could accommodate more than 1,000 passengers, yet there were only 266 aboard... The work day had begun, more than 50,000 people worked in the two towers, yet only 20,000 were at their desks...God held up each of the two mighty towers for a half hour so that the people on the lower floors could get out. And when He finally let go, He caused the towers to fall inward rather than to topple over, which would have killed so many more people..."

In the middle of so much sorrow and brokeness, this author chose to illuminate a very important subject that often is forgotten - our God is still the God who saves, even in moments of great loss and destruction, and always when we don't understand the difficulties we are facing. It is easy for us to harshly judge God incorrectly when we look at Him with our small, human eyes. We only see a piece of the puzzle but He knows the big picture. Rather than focusing on the judgement, killing and destruction, let us open our minds and try to see what God is doing in regards to His grace and plans. Choose your own adventure time! Go ahead and open your Bible or click here to read Deuteronomy 2.  Or just keep reading.

As we wander into this chapter we find God's people were given some pretty specific commands.  It's time to get moving. When you run into Esau's family, don't bother them.  When you run into Lot's family, don't bother them. Although both of these groups of people could potentially get in the way of what God was doing, He allowed them to live. They were not to be viewed as an immediate problem or danger at this point. The Israelites were permitted to pass by them and go on their way. If you stop a moment and think about it, I'm sure there is a whole list of possible distractions and temptations that could one day stand in the way between you and your promised land. We're talking neutral zone here. Maybe it's not a big deal now but it's important to be aware because you never know how certain things will affect you in the future.  For me, I think that my love of trying new recipes falls into the neutral zone. I really got into Pinterest around the time that Paul and I got married. I guarantee that site aided and embedded the extra 20 or 30 pounds we gained that first year of marriage. Pinterest is okay now because of my Whole 30 board full of healthy alternatives but if you ever notice me on a high caloric overindulgent pinning spree, please send me a message and ask me if I have crossed over to the dark side.

But when you find the Amorites (not to be confused with the Ammonites who you were supposed to leave alone), make sure you completely destroy them. That's right, destroy. This is the part in the Bible that some of us struggle with because we don't like to think of God in this light. However it is in this Warrior mentality that we see His saving grace for the Israelites. We are reminded of His great plans and promises. In Mark 2:21-22, Jesus told a parable that sounds more complicated than it really is but works wonderfully with this concept. “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” Sometimes there must be death in order for there to be more life. Sometimes the old must go for the new to come. In fact, we read that there was not even one survivor of this nation left. Perhaps one person would have been enough to get God's people off track. We already know they were fully capable of getting distracted and making mistakes on their own without bringing people who worshipped other gods into the mix. Is it possible that if the Israelites were not able to take over this nation, that they also would not have been able to fully posseses the promised land God had in store for them? Has God clearly revealed to you anything in your life that is a definite stumbling block? Are you allowing something to exist that should actually be destroyed so that you can fully experience all the promises God has for you?

In case you didn't already know - God is really smart. He knows that we are tempted and he tries to show us that there are things we can do to prevent or lessen that temptation. In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we read "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (**This is actually the verse people use to say that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. See my notes below to read my commentary on that.) But when it comes to temptation, like this verse discusses, sometimes, it is very clear. So why not start with that? I should not ever find myself driving through a fast food restaurant because it is not good for me for so many reasons. So, I uproot the bad root of convenience eating. How do I replace it? I make healthy food at home. This also requires me to have to prepare ahead of time and always have things ready. This can be hard but it works. This morning as I was running late, I was very thankful I had made a bunch of hard boiled eggs yesterday. I was able to reach into the fridge and grab one to go. It is so important to eat a good breakfast not just because it gets your metabolism going for the day but also because it keeps you from overeating later. Maybe a hard boiled egg isn't the best way to start my day but it was a much better choice than eating nothing and then reaching into the classroom animal crackers around 9:30 when my tummy starts to grumble. This also means I cook larger meals and freeze in single portions for my lunches at school. Often times, I dish up my dinner and my lunch at the same time which also can help me not to overeat because I am rationing the food. Unfortunately, I sometimes have to sacrifice things that I would love to do because I am aware of the temptation I would be facing. I had lovely dinner plans Friday night with the opportunity for wonderful fellowship with friends but in light of recent decisions, I have decided to pass this time. Will I always have to make this decision? No. Am I aware of my need to avoid temptation as much as possible right now? Yes. Am I thankful that I am drawing near to God so I can choose to take things day by day? Absolutely!

Father, thank you that Your love is perfect. Even in the midst of suffering and destruction, You are our Strong Tower, our Provider, our Grace that is sufficient. Help me to choose to cling to You in times of temptation. Show me what I need to destroy and uproot so that I can have full access to every good thing You have to offer. I yield all areas of my life to you...the good, the bad and the neutral. Amen.

**My cliffs notes on 1 Corinthians 10:13 is that when we look in context, the verse is actually talking about temptation. God never says He won't give us more than we can handle in life. He says that He will provide a way out when we are being tempted. Please note that even Jesus said, "In this world, there will be suffering, but take heart for I have overcome the world." When it comes to difficult things in life I will never proclaim to understand the whys or hows but I do know the Who. God is able to help us through anything and everything if we let Him. If you have been saying, "why do all these things keep happening? It's too much. I can't do it..." I wonder if, perhaps the Lord is just waiting for you to come to Him to help you through it. He never promised that He would give us only what we could handle because the truth is, apart from Him, it's hard to endure anything.