Removing Temptations

Living our lives to prevent anything from interfering with God’s promises to us. To Abraham God had made a promise to give to his descendants the land of Canaan (Gen.12:5-7; Gen.13:15; Gen. 15:18). Abraham had such absolute faith in the promises from God that he made decisions to not let anything interfere and thereby preventing these promises from being accomplished. Abraham showed absolute faith by his works. An example of this is recorded in Genesis 24:1-8 of where Abraham is setting about to find a bride for his son Isaac. Abraham believed in this promise from God that he was most adamant that his son Isaac not be allowed to go back to the land from which he came under any circumstances in this matter of finding his wife. Abraham warned his servant to beware that Isaac not be taken back to the old land. In other words do not let Isaac even be given an opportunity to go find his future wife. Abraham did not want the possibility of Isaac going back and maybe staying in the old land with his new wife and her family or even staying with Abraham’s old relatives and then not receiving the fulfillment of the promises that God had made. Abraham did not even want that possibility to be set before Isaac and so Abraham removed that temptation from before Isaac. God has promised us eternal life and we also must remove any temptations from our lives and our children’s lives which would interfere and prevent us and them from the accomplishment of God’s promises to us and them.

- Larry Bumgardner