Way of Escape

Nº 160 weekly devotions to refresh your soul by Dr. Dan Bolin - AUGUST 24, 2021

“All the great temptations appear first in the region of the mind and can be fought and conquered there. We have been given the power to close the door of the mind. We can lose this power through disuse or increase it by use, by the daily discipline of the inner man in things which seem small and by reliance upon the word of the Spirit of truth. It is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. It is as though He said, ‘Learn to live in your will, not in your feelings.’” - Amy Carmichael

My four-year-old grandson loves to work mazes. He pushed his pencil along the open passageways until he reaches a dead end. Instead of remaining trapped, he backtracks and tries a new direction. Time after time he becomes stuck, but each time he retreats and goes in a new direction. Eventually he victoriously finds his way to the other side of the page. Too often we feel trapped in the dead ends of sin and rebellion; we think there is no way out. We feel trapped in the temptations and tests that swirl in and through our lives. But God always has an escape route available. Paul reminds the Corinthians, who were struggled with relational, sexual, and idolatrous sins, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 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 stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) God always provides an escape route out of our dead end, isolated, and at times frustrating circumstances. Victory is never far away. Don’t give up. Backtrack and look for the better pathway God always provides.

Dan Bolin President Refueling in Flight Ministries, Inc