Quote from Forum Archives on October 12, 2011, 6:51 pm

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 7622 new subscribers since January 1, 2011!!
There were 4010 new subscribers during 2010!!

10.12.11

On the Edge

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation
has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who
will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear
it. - 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.

Nearly all of us saw the video, captured of a cliff in north Cornwall,
England, that crashed into the ocean. Thousands of tons of rock unexpectedly
split away and tumbled down into the water. A geologist estimated that
100,000 tons of rock fell down. (Orange News 10.10.11) I know that I had
never even thought about the possibility of such a thing. Of course, we know
about landslides, rock falls, and avalanches; but 100,000 tons of a cliff?
Can you imagine being on a cliff like that, and hearing the rock suddenly
beginning to fall away? That would be scary!

If you knew of the likely possibility of a cliff falling into an ocean,
would you make it a practice to go, and stand on the edge of that cliff
every day? Of course not! However, we know many who call themselves
Christians who do engage in that kind of risky behavior. How do they do
that? They do this by drinking alcohol, even though they know that some who
drink become alcoholics, some damage their health, some become involved in
violent behavior, and some who drink are arrested for drinking and driving.
Others are out there standing on cliffs because of their abuse of legal
drugs or use of illegal drugs. Some are on that unstable cliff because of
flirting or worse with the opposite s_x. I probably left something out, but
I think you understand how dangerous these things can be.

Yes, "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you
are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you
may be able to bear it." However, the we are told in Deuteronomy 6:16, "You
shall not tempt the LORD your God.." Jesus said exactly this when He was
tempted by the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:7). Now consider this: If
you know that it is risky to do something, but you continue to do it again
and again, are you not tempting God?

Yes, we are all sometimes tempted, but there is a way of escape, because God
says there is one. You can refuse to walk out to the edge of that cliff. You
can refuse to have another drink. You can refuse to do another drug, or pop
another pill. You can turn away from those who would lure you into
inappropriate behavior. Will this be easy? No! But "God is faithful, who
will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear
it."

Make no mistake, when you are tempted, there is a way out. Ask God to reveal
that way out to you. Ask Him for the strength you need to take the way out
that leads off of that cliff you are standing on before you fall. As we are
told in 1 Corinthians 10, ".let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he
fall." Get away from the edge of that cliff!!

Copyright © 2011. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals
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primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities
throughout the United States and Canada.

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Wrather, as he recovers from surgery. Please pray a member of our church who
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