Sonlight Devotional

[Printable version]

Scripture reading: James 4:7

Divine Order of course is God’s order. This order dictates that a man’s spirit should be under or controlled by “the Spirit of God”; that his soul should be under his spirit and that his body should be controlled by his soul. When one makes a Godly decision, then that person immediately comes under the control of God. In temptation, therefore, resistance is the perfect will of God and the more one resists the stronger one becomes. Let me tell you a story of my personal experience with this premise before I knew the Lord.

In my youth I was prone to violence, but discovered that once I yield to it by striking a blow, etc., I had no power over my actions. One day my brother and I got into a fight and this great power came over me and told me to kill him. I did not want to do it, but I remember being forced to take up a weapon and strike at him. The blow missed and the weapon was imbedded into the wooden post of the porch. The first day I came through the gate and saw the mark on that post, I realized the horror of the deed I would have done against my brother whom I loved so much. I asked God there and then to stop me from ever doing that again. God had created the necessary incentive for me to ask Him. Of course at that time I did not know this to be so. The next occasion that there was a confrontation between us, it was right before the mark on the post and I remembered my asking God to help me. The thought that came through my mind at that moment was directly from God, although at that time I did not know it: “Your body does not belong to devils.” – “No force should control your actions but you yourself.” – “Use your will power to prevent yourself fighting.” I was by this time being hit, but would not lift my hand, and I was determined not to retaliate. Sweat came pouring down and my well-groomed black suit and white shirt were wet like a bucket of water had been poured on my head. I WON.

The scripture said, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) I resisted and he fled. That devil never came back to me, or should I say never overcame me for two long years. After two years he tricked me, and being not sure of me, he was playing for keeps, BUT God again intervened and translated me out of that fight. I was lifted out by a supernatural force and placed down the street. I did not know Jesus as my Saviour, but I praised Him that day and now I thank Him personally that “When I was yet without strength” He reached down His hand and saved me.

Crying to God for help brings a person under Divine Order. It is the perfect will of God that man should take God for his helper and Saviour. Truly, God who knows man’s heart might even put him in a crying-out position in order that His Great Love might be able to reach down and help him. The Father could have sent messengers to the Prodigal Son to alleviate his suffering and to stop him from having to feed with swine, but that would have frustrated His own plan, to have the son come to his senses. The hard grind of the pigsty experience brought him to his senses, therefore that experience, though terrible it was, was not evil but good. When we are in the throes of suffering, it is difficult for us to see God’s goodness in allowing us to go through these things. However, we can rest assured that God is working on our behalf.

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, August 1984)

Thought for today: In temptation resistance is the perfect will of God and the more one resists the stronger one becomes.