A Promised Way of Escape

A Promised Way of Escape

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; 2 THESSALONIANS 3:3; 2 TIMOTHY 1:7; TITUS 2:12-14 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20CORINTHIANS%2010%3A13%3B%202%20THESSALONIANS%203%3A3%3B%202%20TIMOTHY%201%3A7%3B%20TITUS%202%3A12-14&version=NLT] During my senior year, my best friend invited me to her birthday party. Our entire circle of friends showed up, and the day seemed innocent enough. A few hours later, things took an unexpected turn. Out of nowhere, my high school best friend pulled out her parents’ bottle of vodka and asked if anyone wanted to take shots with her. Immediately, I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach as everyone, except me, enthusiastically agreed. I knew this was wrong. She looked to me, waiting on an answer. I felt the pressures to fit in and say, “Yes.” Suddenly, I remembered what my youth pastor had preached earlier that week, that God would show me a way out when I was tempted so that I could endure it and not give in (1 Corinthians 10:13). I knew what I had to do. I said, “No. I have to go home.” While the temptation to fit in was strong, God faithfully gave me a way out. I don’t know what temptations you’re facing, but I do know this: you’re not alone. The temptations and struggles you’re dealing with are no different than what everyone else has experienced. Since the beginning of time, starting with Adam and Eve, we’ve all been tempted. While, yes, there are temptations and struggles, there is great news in our moments of weakness. God is faithful, and His Word promises we will not be tempted more than we can stand. He promises to show us a way out so we can endure. It is sometimes difficult, but once we know Jesus, we can always pray prayers like this: Lord, show me the way of escape You’re providing from this temptation. Thank You for giving me the strength to choose Your way and not sin. Remember, Jesus is with us, and He is faithful to help us resist sin—and to forgive us even when we fall. As we rely on His love, we become willing to choose His way out. • Brandi Prather • In times of temptation, Jesus invites us to come to Him, to be reminded of His goodness, and to better see the way of escape He’s offering. Consider taking a moment to talk to Him about whatever temptations you’ve been facing lately. Why is it that we don’t have to be afraid of being totally honest with Jesus about our temptations and sins? (Psalm 139; Romans 3:23-24; Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16; 1 John 1:9) • What questions do you have about drinking alcohol? Who are trusted Christians in your life you could talk to about these questions? (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 104:14-15; Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; Ecclesiastes 9:7; Isaiah 5:11; Amos 9:14; Luke 7:33-34; John 2:1-11; Romans 13:13; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Timothy 5:23. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:4 (NLT)

Busting Out of the Familiar

READ: JOHN 14:26; 20:31; 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17; HEBREWS 4:12 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=JOHN%2014%3A26%3B%2020%3A31%3B%202%20TIMOTHY%203%3A14-17%3B%20HEBREWS%204%3A12&version=WEB] How well do you know the streets around your home? As you drive by, you probably know by heart that there’s a gas station on the right and, up ahead, there’s an old blue van that’s been parked in the same spot since the beginning of time. But have you ever noticed something new on that familiar route? Maybe a neighbor painted their shutters a wild shade of avocado green, a coffee shop just took over that abandoned building, or—Wait! Did I just see a giant flamingo statue in that backyard? If we grew up in church, learning Bible stories and verses week after week, it can be hard to find the motivation to read God’s Word. When we open to a familiar passage, we may think, I already know this story. Why should I read it again? This may be true about other books, but the Bible is different. God’s words are “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). If you’re in Christ, you’re in a living and active relationship with the God who wrote the words. That means you’re a part of the story you’re reading—God’s story of rescuing His people and restoring His creation. The climax of this story is the cross, and everything else revolves around it. All throughout the Bible, God is revealing the gospel (or good news) of Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit, God helps us see new aspects of the gospel every time we read. But, practically, how can we train our eyes to see these? The secret to seeing the new things God is waiting to show you from His Word is to start asking questions. Here are a few to try: “God, will You open up my eyes to understand what Your Word says?” “Is there anything about this passage that doesn’t make sense to me?” “What do these verses say about the big picture of the gospel and what Jesus has done?” As you ask these questions, remember you are never alone. In Christ, you have the Holy Spirit to guide you as you seek to deepen your understanding of God’s Word. • Mandy Desilets • When do you struggle to find the motivation to read the Bible? What do you think is the biggest reason behind that struggle? • When we ask questions, we often end up with more questions. Who is a trusted Christian in your life you could go to with your questions about the Bible as they come up? For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (WEB)

Praying Continually

READ: PSALM 145:19; PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13; 1 JOHN 3:1; 5:14 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%20145%3A19%3B%20PHILIPPIANS%204%3A4-13%3B%201%20JOHN%203%3A1%3B%205%3A14&version=NIV] My sister calls me every day around three o’clock. Sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. Sometimes a lot later. Could she be shopping? By four o’clock I start to worry. Perhaps she was in a car accident. Maybe she got hurt. I like to know she’s okay—especially since she lives alone. But there are also times when I’m busy and can’t answer the phone. Then she leaves a message. We never have to leave a message with God. Unlike with me and my sister, He already knows all the things going on in our lives, but He wants us to tell Him about them anyway—just like a little child tells their parents about the friend who shared a cookie, or comforted them after another child betrayed them. Sharing draws the parent and child closer together. Sharing can draw us closer to God too. God wants to hear the things that worry us. The things that annoy us. The things that make us sing for joy. We can talk to God any time. Anywhere. In any language. Even in no language at all—just a longing of our hearts. Or a sorrow too deep for words. Sometimes we pray because it’s the time we have allotted. Sometimes we pray because someone asks us to. And sometimes we are down on our knees, pouring out our hearts—and our tears—over circumstances beyond our control. God never tells us to call back later. He never lets our prayers go to voice mail. Not only can we share things with God, we can also ask Him for things. Sometimes we don’t see immediate results from our prayers. Sometimes we never see results. That doesn’t mean God is not at work. He is, after all, God. Whether His answer is yes or no or wait, He is acting out of His unimaginable love for us. How foolish we can be when we choose other activities over communion with the Lord of the universe. • Carol Raj • When you hear the word prayer, how does it make you feel? Peaceful, annoyed, guilty, frustrated, confused, bored, eager, hopeful…? • God wants to be in relationship with us because He loves us—even more than a parent loves their child. He made the way for that relationship through Jesus’s death and resurrection. Once we know Jesus, we are brought close to God. And one of the ways we enjoy our new relationship with God is through talking with Him in prayer. If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 62:8; 139:1-24; Matthew 6:5-13; Romans 8:26-39; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Hebrews 4:14-16. Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

Knowing

READ: PSALM 139; ROMANS 8:26-39; HEBREWS 11:1 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%20139%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A26-39%3B%20HEBREWS%2011%3A1&version=NIV] I know what to do. I know how to act, how to look, how to speak. I can recite His words from memory. I know how to find Bible verses in thirty seconds flat. I go to church every week, and I take sermon notes. I can show everyone that I follow Him. I know what to do. I know what I should do. I know I should read the Bible every day. I can talk to Him whenever I want, and I should do it every day. I know He loves me, and I should praise Him for it. I know I should tell everyone I meet about Him. I should feel confident because I know the Good News. I know what I should do. I don’t know what to do. I don’t always feel His presence. I don’t feel peaceful or strong; I feel anxious. I don’t know whether I am serving Him or only my own pride. I don’t feel full of love and hope; I feel like a decorated empty shell. I don’t feel like His child; I feel like an imposter. I don’t know what to do. He knows me. He knows my every fault and failure. He understands my joy and pain, my strongest desires, and my deepest regrets. He calls me to His side, even when I am too self-focused to hear. He claimed me as His own before I took my first breath. He tells me nothing in this or any world can stop His love for me. He knows me, and that’s all I need to know. • Andi Potter • Can you think of a time you felt like the narrator in today’s poem? As Christians, we’ll all have times when we feel distant from Jesus, when we feel lost and confused, when we might even wonder if we really belong to Him. Thankfully, Jesus’s love for us is unending, His forgiveness is unshakable—and He knows we need reminders of this! • Because God loves us so dearly, Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins and rose from the grave to give us new life. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that we are forever secure in His love. How could it be freeing to remember that God knows us—including how desperately we need Him? (For more about what it means to be in Christ, check out our "Know Jesus [https://unlocked.org/knowjesus/]" page). • In Psalm 139:7-12, what does David say about how far Jesus is willing to pursue us? (If you want to dig deeper, read Luke 15; John 3:16-17; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:1-10; Romans 8:38-39.) • Jesus always invites us to talk to Him about all our struggles, and He also provides fellow Christians we can talk to. Who are trusted Christians in your life you can share your struggles with—people who will listen to you, pray with you and for you, and remind you of Jesus’s love and forgiveness? (If no one comes to mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.) Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

God Can Handle the Outcome

READ: PROVERBS 24:29; ROMANS 8:28-39; 12:9-21 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PROVERBS%2024%3A29%3B%20ROMANS%208%3A28-39%3B%2012%3A9-21&version=CSB] My family prioritized attending college after high school. So as my sister, who I’ll call Monique, prepared for college, she entered a scholarship competition. During the finale, I watched as other participants received cash awards to help pay for college. But Monique left with none. Later, Monique confided in me that one of the winners had cheated. Monique’s friend, who I’ll call Heidi, had received an award for the best essay. But Heidi told some friends that her boyfriend Austin wrote it for her. Heidi didn’t expect to win. But Austin’s willingness to “help” resulted in a victory Heidi didn’t earn—and stole opportunities from others. I got angry on Monique’s behalf. I called the situation, “Unfair! Unjust! Wrong!” Heidi’s cheating was all that. But the competition had ended. Out-of-town judges had gone home. It seemed nothing could be done. Monique accepted the situation, choosing not to address it. But I wanted better for my sister. I wanted to make somebody pay. Sometimes it’s harder to forgive someone who’s hurt a person we love than it is to forgive someone who’s hurt us. But I know God calls me to forgive. I’ve put my trust in Jesus to pay for my sins by dying in my place, securing my forgiveness and my relationship with God. If He could forgive me every wrong thought, attitude, action, and word, I could choose to forgive Heidi (and Austin). I could choose—by the power of Christ’s Spirit in me—to support Monique and not hold a grudge. I could choose to release Heidi and Austin from my desire to get back at them. After graduation, my sister pursued higher education. She even earned a position playing soccer at a community college, which paid for two years of tuition. I learned from Monique to forgive and leave the results to God—and then watch Him provide in His way. • Allison Wilson Lee • Can you think of a time somebody mistreated or betrayed you, but God still worked for your good? • In life, there are times to speak up against wrongs, and there are also times when God gives us grace to accept an unfair outcome. We can always pray for justice, asking God to give us wisdom and boldness if we’re in a position to seek justice, and asking Him to give us peace even if we won’t see full justice until Jesus returns. Who are trusted Christians who can help you discern when to speak up, and when not to? When we address an injustice, but still nothing changes, why can we still trust God to work out His best? (Matthew 27:12; Acts 22:24–23:11) Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the Lord, and he will rescue you. Proverbs 20:22 (CSB)