GOD LEADS

GOD LEADS – DO WE HEED?

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Matthew 6:9-13 [note Lk.11:14] After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

  God’s leading is treasured by His followers. I for one count His promises in Psalm 23 as precious, especially “He leadeth me beside still waters.” Urged on by my mentors to study God’s Word not selectively but as a whole, I discovered God’s leading is not always beside pastoral placid pools.

  The study provoked me to much Romans 12:2 rethinking.

  My mentor nudged me to investigate the Greek for “tempted” in Matthew 4:1. I did so: πειρασμός; peirasmos; pi-ras-mos' From [Strong’s] G3985; a putting to proof (by experiment [of good], experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline or provocation); by implication adversity: - temptation, X try.

  “OK” I responded, “I’m glad I’m not Jesus!”

  My wise mentor then seemed to completely change the subject, he prodding with “How many times do you figure you’ve said the Lord’s prayer?”

  Considering mornings in public school, Boy Scouts, church, and a few other places, I couldn’t come up without an answer “Thousands?”

  “Now read it aloud for me.” said he.

  After my doing so he asked me what it said. Still thinking we were on a different topic I whizzed thru explaining the prayer.

  “What about the words and *punctuation in verse 13?”

  As the blokes say, I was gobsmacked by the revelation.

·         God may lead us into temptation.

·         God may deliver us from evil.

·         God’s kingdom supersedes my otherwise notions of how life should be.

·         To mature in Christ-likeness I may also be “proofed”.

  Later my mentors had me take another look at Eden.

  EBB4

*Colon, the sign (:) used to mark a major division in a sentence, to indicate that what follows is an elaboration, summation, implication, etc. Whereas a semicolon punctuation mark (;) is used to indicate a major division in a sentence where a more distinct separation is felt between clauses or items on a list than is indicated by a comma, as between the two clauses of a compound sentence. [Source: http://www.dictionary.com ]