Sometimes, it’s necessary. The confusing part about that statement is that we often don’t know why it’s necessary, but it happened. Why did it happen? Why go through difficult things? And why can’t life be easier? I’m not sure, honestly, why it’s necessary – but I’m sure that there’s purpose to it all. It just had to happen in order for us to get to the next step in our journey.
”Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptations comes!”
Matthew 18:7 ESV
It’s necessary strikes a different chord
I’ve thought a lot recently about that statement in Matthew 18:7, “For it is necessary that temptations come…” It’s easier to understand the use of the word necessary in another statement like, “For you to get better, it’s necessary to take your medicine.” But reading “It is necessary that temptations come,” strikes a different chord that doesn’t sound like the music we love to hear.
However, there is a similarity in those statements. Just like it is necessary to take medication as prescribed by the doctor, it’s necessary to face the temptations as they come. They serve as medicine to our souls if we take them correctly. The key phrase being, if we take them correctly. There are both correct and incorrect responses to facing temptations and troubles.
It’s necessary but we often won’t understand
When the temptation or trouble comes, how do we respond? Do we give in to our knee-jerk reactions? Especially if what we are facing feels negative?
There’s a lot to be said and I can’t say it all in a short devotional like this. But, let today’s takeaway be, “It’s necessary that temptations come.” Sometimes we’ll understand and, most of the time, we won’t understand. And yet God is at work. But we must remember as well that He is not the tempter.
”Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one.”
James 1:13 ESV
The only one who tempts to sin is Satan who is called, “the tempter” in scripture (see Matt. 4:3). Even so, while God doesn’t tempt us, He works within temptation to guide us in the right way, if we allow Him. Temptations will come, even Jesus was tempted (see Matt. 4). The outstanding thing about Jesus when He faced temptation wasn’t that He didn’t complain about the temptation. He simply got through it successfully. It served a purpose. And if we allow God to lead us while we face temptation, it will serve us instead of derail us.
Deliver us
No, I’m not saying to look for temptation. Jesus said , when He taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:5-15, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” We’re not led to follow the temptation, rather, we are led out of it.
It’s necessary that temptations come – but God will make a way through.
