Weekly devotion no 15

Weekly Devotion no 15
10 July 2020

Bible reading – Matthew 6:9-13

⁹ ‘This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.”

Reflection - And lead us not into temptation

In the final petition, we pray that God would not lead us into temptation. This may sound a bit strange: surely God doesn’t tempt us? To lead us into sin would seem counter to his character. Well, that’s right, God doesn’t tempt us. But he does let us be tempted. Jesus was tempted by the evil one during his 40 days in the desert. He was on his own for 40 days, isolated from his friends, and the evil one tried to get into his head, trying to get him to turn away from God. Jesus was not saved from temptation, nor did he succumb to it. But ultimately, he defeated the evil one through his death and resurrection. And so, he is the answer to this prayer. ‘The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.’[1] We need not fear temptation because Jesus has won the victory, although we will continue to experience temptation until Jesus comes again.

Jesus wants us to remember that the evil one is real – he’s not just some abstract concept, he’s active in our lives and in our world. C S Lewis’ satire ‘Screwtape Letters’ paints a picture of the advice a senior devil would give a junior devil.  And it hits the mark, because it reminds us that the devil is not just interested in the big stuff, he’s also wheedling his way into the minutiae of life, the things that might appear insignificant, but they become a way in for the evil one to corrupt our thoughts and actions so that we move further and further away from the will of God.

How will we go in the next 40 days of lockdown? Will we succumb to the temptations of the evil one, to listen to his lies saying that God is not with us, that he has abandoned us to our loneliness, that he has left us to our own devices? Or shall we ask God to deliver us from the evil one and trust in his faithfulness, remembering that Jesus has won the victory over the evil one and we need not fear, for God is with us and will never leave us?

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[1] 1 John 3:8b

Hymn

Verse 1

Father, hear the prayer we offer:
not for ease that prayer shall be,
but for strength that we may ever
live our lives courageously.

Verse 2

Not for ever in green pastures
do we ask our way to be;
but the steep and rugged pathway
may we tread rejoicingly.

Verse 3

Not for ever by still waters
would we idly rest and stay;
but would smite the living fountains
from the rocks along our way.

Verse 4

Be our strength in hours of weakness,
in our wanderings be our guide;
through endeavour, failure, danger,
Father, be thou at our side.

Love M. Whitcomb Willis © 1864 Public Domain CCLI:69198    

Prayer

Almighty God,

you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers,

that, because of the frailty of our nature,

we cannot always stand upright.

Give us such strength and protection

as may support us in all dangers

and carry us through all temptations;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Alternative Service Book 1980