For this months article I would like to look at a passage in James chapter 1 verse 12 to 18. It reads “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.”

You may be asking why I have chosen such a lengthy passage, but when I first looked at this passage, I noticed it was titled Loving God Under Trials, which very recently I have been through, and therefore thought I would bring it to this month's article.

Firstly, I notice in verse 12, the words, Blessed is the man who endures temptation. We all know, during our daily lives we will come across temptation, we cannot avoid it because Satan is always looking to snare us as we walk with the Lord. This verse says enduring temptation, which means, we come through it, I wander, when you are tempted, do you fall or carry on standing strong in the Lord? Enduring it and falling through temptation are 2 different matters. If we endure, come through the temptation that is around us in life, it goes on to say we will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised.

I came across an occasion in my life many years ago where when I was subject to temptation, and at times, fell to temptation. I used to question myself why God was tempting me, but it was not God who was doing the tempting, it was Satan who was looking to ensnare in my walk with Christ, and sometimes our own desires and wants which send us off the path we are supposed to be walking hand in hand with God.

In verse 16, we are issued a warning, do not be deceived. There are many opportunities for us to be tempted and deceived in life, but question is, what do we do when temptation confronts us? Do not be deceived, everything that happens to us, in our lives, is planned, and as the next verse, 17 says, every good and perfect gift is from above.

> So when we wonder why we are being tempted and deceived, be strong in the Lord, in his strength, look to Him, because He knows how to remain standing, as verse 13 says, “for God cannot be tempted by evil”.

If you have any questions or comments on this article, please e-mail me at s.latham@assemblyyouth.net

Wilderness years Offerings for the Feast of Weeks	Next month: Beseech.
	Thought for the month
	Last month: Sing to the Lord.

All quotes are from the New King James version of the Bible unless otherwise specified.