God is not the source of temptation

"No one experiencing temptation should say 'I am being tempted by God'; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one. Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire" (James 1:13-15).

I was so glad that this was in the readings for today. It has always troubled me that God would tempt us into sin. Would any parent do that to their beloved child? Would anyone try to lure their beloved into a trap?
In the reading for today, James says that God tempts no one. But, rather, it is us who are tempted by our own desires. This makes alot more sense than God trying to trap us. That would not be the act of a loving God. It might be the act of Satan to tempt us, but without any outside influences, we are tempted by many things. God is there as our protector, but will not step in unless we ask for his assistance.
Again and again we see that the message is that we cannot rely upon ourselves to always do the right thing. We need God to be helping us. We need to rely on God. That may be very ego-deflating to some people. Lots of us tend to want to think that we can handle anything on our own. We need no one's help until we find out that we are not really in control. We should not feel alone in this, because no one else is in control either, except God.
I am happy that James told me in the reading today that God is not going to tempt me to go after what will be bad for me, just to see if I do. I don't need any help in going after the wrong thing, I do that pretty well on my own. God is there to help me to do what is right and to go after the things that will be good for me. That gives me great consulation, even in times of trouble. God will always be there to help me along to the right road, the right side, to the right desire. I can trust that God will not put blocks and temptations in my way to help me follow the wrong path. My only trouble is that I need to remember to ask for help when I need it and that help will be there for me.
God is there for you as well.

Peace and Love,

Sue


"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10)