Temptation Part 1: “The Trap”

It was 1:02am and the man made his way to bed. Thoughts of how the next day would unfold reeled through his mind. He would be alone. The man wearily drifted to sleep dreading the daylight to come. Perhaps, he thought, his dreams would take the edge off of the day…that slumber could sate his desires.

The human’s enemy chuckled as it’s prey fell asleep. “Oh the plans I have for you,” it said to itself. The darkness was quite satisfied with it’s work so far. The human had played right into it’s trap. The plan was flawless, well…mostly flawless, there was an instance or two when it did not work out so well.

“Testimony,” it muttered, the darkness shuddered at the word. Testimony had caused much grief to it’s perfect plan…not to mention the resulting train wreak to the plans of it’s colleagues. However, this revised tactic was better; the tactic was old, some would say ancient, and it had worked time and time again.

The trap was set.

The man woke up somewhere between 9:46 to 10:00. He wasn’t quite sure what time it was, but he didn’t have anything to do that day, and so he hid inside his pillow trying to return to his dreams. This was after all his “day of rest.” The edginess of the day prior was not gone and he did not want to face the day.

His flesh was not pleased with last night, and it’s desires were not sated by the man’s dreamworld. The man’s flesh hungered, it had been sleeping for what felt like an eternity…this was much longer than usual. But, like clockwork, his flesh had awakened this season with all its sinful desires. Oddly enough the man’s flesh was a dead creature, it had been slain a long time ago, and by some kind of necromancy it was called into being.

“Wake up! Be sober, be vigilant!”

The man groggily arose from his bed. He was made aware of the war within him and that his ally was fighting for him. The Spirit had been through many battles with the man against his necromantic flesh. The Spirit knew this flesh had a vendetta against the man ever since he was a child. It’s great desire was to consume the man, to devour him completely, to make him a slave. And the Spirit was aware of the man’s other enemy, the darkness. Both had conspired against him this day. But the Spirit was with him. The Holy Spirit was for the man.

He was not alone.

The desire for salvation

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
And in your salvation how greatly he exults!
You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah

– Psalms 21:1-2

This psalm is the result of David’s declaration in praise to God. Notably, this is “King David,” not the lost songs of a shepherd boy…yet, this heart before God remains unchanged by time. This heart knows where to direct its praise, it’s adoration…to the King of kings.

Father help me to beleive in your unfailing love. Help me to know you have good things planned for me…that you are for me and not against me. That you care about the desires of my heart, that you will not withhold my request. Help me to know in my heart that you are good.
Amen

Obtaining desire

Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”

Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. Ask me for as great a bride price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”

– Genesis 34:1-4, 11-12

Transposed against the life of Jacob, we see a valuable lesson to be learned: How you pursue desire is more important than obtaining it. Rash actions of lust and love brought death and pain to a great many in this episode. Look at the lives of two young lovers; both Jacob and Shechem were passionately in love, both would pay any price for the one they cared for…but only one waited…only one paid the full price (double even) upfront; the other made rash compulsive decisions up front to meet the deadly end of his desire. Jesus alludes to this end when he said: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.'” – Luke 14:28 This idea of building a tower is physically illustrated in the foolish lives of those planning the Tower of Babel. They did not truly count the cost for building such a structure, for, it is also written in scripture, that, “unless The Lord builds the house, the laborers labor in vein.”

And so it shall be for my life as well. Obtaining that which I count dear to my life comes second to the preperation and planning required to obtain the desire of my heart. Unless The Lord first goes before me I will truly labor in vein. But even in patiently waiting I have been looked down upon by some who would say that I should have done otherwise. Now I know they do not mean ill, but I am convinced of this decision to wait patiently. I will surely labor for the good thing that God has in store…and in some ways I have been for many years. And the time will come to speak with the one I love…and we shall see what happens from there.

Lord I bring my desire before you. Instruct me on what I must do from here. I ask for your wisdom regarding love…may I live within your perfect timing. Help me to count the cost for your dear daughter. Bring me resolve to do only your will.
Amen

Lifes desires

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on gaurd against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
– Luke 12:15

Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
– Genesis 29:18,20

Whatever happens in this life I can know I have found a great richness in my God, far beyond the riches of provision, food, or clothing. My God is my great reward…and the wealth that my heart clings to dearly. Because of this truth anxieties of what may be, or what is to come…these cares vanish in the love of the Father. My God is enough.

Lord, I bring before you the desires of my heart. I ask for your younger daughter, that she may be my wife. I love her very much. As I have already promised my service to you…I do not know what to offer you for her hand. I commit my heart to your will in this, I gladly will pay the price for her. I pray your blessing over her this day…keep her safe. If it would be your will, give me the strength to love her, to sacrifice my life for her. Regardless of the outcome of my life, would you be my strength. Gaurd my heart from sinful desires. May your peace reign over me Father.
Amen

To rule over sin

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It’s desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
– Genesis 4:6-7

In this story, the world is just beginning we are introduced to the character of sin; more so, sin as a wild beast that seeks to devour man. What I find interesting is God’s desire that man would rule over sin. I do not think I have ever thought of sin as a subject to be managed, it’s been more like something to avoid, to “not do”. But in this story we see sin as almost a separate entity with it’s own set of desires, motives, and cravings. This monster is seen in the eyes of God as a subject of dominion. Not only is man to take dominion over the beasts of the earth, but over the beast of sin as well.

Sadly my realm of rule has not been effectively taking charge, confronting or conflicting with this wild beast. It’s desire is to consume and devour. I must recognize it’s cravings and wantings are not truly my own. In making them my own, I choose to take up the mantle of the beast…To live under a dominion not my own or under God’s…but to obey another, a will of ill intent.