Lent

Every person is subject to temptation. The greatest characters in the Old Testament all underwent temptation, from Adam and Eve to Moses. We cannot allow ourselves to be troubled too much when temptation comes our way. It is inevitable. There is no tribulation or temptation whose limits God has not appointed so as to serve not for our destruction but for our salvation.

God never permits us to be tempted (or afflicted) beyond our strength. It is only through temptation that we can enter into the kingdom of God. We must trust in God and His divine providence. Nothing happens to us in this life unless God wills it so. We owe our lives entirely to God.

In fact, God is the only person we can blame for the wrong we may suffer. Although God is not the cause of the sin when a person mistreats us, He is the cause of the suffering that person inflicts upon us while sinning. God did not inspire your enemy with the desire and will to harm you, but He did give him the power to do so!

We have only to look to the life and suffering of Jesus Christ Himself and learn from His own example. Christ was unjustly persecuted and put to death, and this was by the hand of God Himself. Christ allowed Himself to be tempted by satan, yet He showed us by His example how to always overcome the enemy.

This lent let us pray and fast and unite ourselves to Christ's sufferings. Let us draw our strength from our Lord and Saviour who gives us courage to do battle.

Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching