S. O. A. P.
Here’s Your 90 second AM Devotional!
S-cripture:
Hosea 13:5-6
I cared for you in the wilderness, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.
O-bservation:
As the Lord speaks through the prophet Hosea, we see “Satan’s Temptation Pattern.” First, God takes care of us in our darkest hour until we are finally free. We know Satan won’t since he was the one who bought about our darkest hour. Then God provides for us out of nothing in the worst of conditions. Once that happens, we turn our back on God, somehow believing we were the ones who pulled ourselves out of our trouble. That’s exactly what Israel did. And that’s what we do today. Because that’s “Satan’s Temptation Pattern.”
A-pplication:
No matter how desperate we are, God has always been there as our refuge. More often than not, most of us turn to God out of crisis. During our season of crisis, God responds to our cries. He sticks with us in the worst of times, and then out of nowhere, His provision comes our way. We are amazed and initially give Him praise and thanksgiving. But after a while, the thought begins to resonate in our soul: “Hey, I really did pull myself out of that mess.” The more we say it and refine our own narrative, it almost sounds like we planned our own trouble so we could teach people how to pull themselves out of their own nightmares. Of course, we do this without acknowledging God had anything to do with our recovery. Throughout history, dating back thousands of years, we’ve seen this pattern in families and nations played out over and over again. And now we carry out the same pattern if we’re not careful. It’s “Satan’s Temptation Pattern,” and it hasn’t changed since the beginning of the human race. Why? Because ultimately, we still want what the devil offered Eve in the garden. We want to be “As God!” But that was a lie then, and it’s a lie now. Let’s all be on the watch for “Satan’s Temptation Pattern.”
P-rayer:
Dear Jesus,
With Your help, I will never take credit for doing what You did in me. I realize my limitations, and I also am aware of “Satan’s Temptation Pattern,” so with Your help, I will give YOU all the glory for any success I may enjoy. Amen
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