Not Worth the Devil's While
God allows us to be tempted to show us our weaknesses and prompt us to seek His help, and He is working in us to deliver us from sin and lead us to a better life.
F.B. Meyer emphasizes that temptation serves as a means for God to reveal our weaknesses and draw us closer to Him. He explains that the struggles we face, including the yearning for a better life, are evidence of God's work within us. Meyer reassures those feeling lost in worldly pursuits that their desires for something greater indicate they are indeed children of God, even amidst their weaknesses. He encourages believers to recognize that God is actively shaping them, making them His workshop, and to seek His help in overcoming temptation.
Text
When the Spirit of God descended upon Christ He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil--Spirit-filled, devil-tempted.
You ask, why does God let us be tempted? I think it is to show where we are weak; that upon the temptation, as our stepping stone, we may reach out for some of God's help. I would not know how much I needed Christ unless the devil were constantly tempting me.
God is working in you. The compunction you feel when you sin, the yearning you feel for a better life, your desire to go to a religious meeting, all are proofs that God is working in you to deliver you. Many a woman of fashion or society is, perhaps, living in the very whirl of it, and yet, poor thing, in it she really wants something better.
My sister, do not be disheartened--that is God working in you! I believe you are a real child of His, but you are so weak, and you do not like to stand alone, you do what other women do, and yet you hate it all the time, and you want the better life. Understand that God is working in you; you are the workshop of God.
Sermon Outline
- God's Purpose in Temptation
- Evidence of God's Work in Us
- The Workshop of God
- We are the instruments of God's work
- We must be willing to be used by Him
- Yearning for spiritual things
Key Quotes
“I would not know how much I needed Christ unless the devil were constantly tempting me.” — F.B. Meyer
“My sister, do not be disheartened--that is God working in you!” — F.B. Meyer
“You are the workshop of God.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- Recognize your weaknesses and seek God's help when you are tempted.
- Look for evidence of God's work in your life, such as conviction of sin or a desire for a better life.
- Be willing to be used by God to do His work and be His instrument in the world.