God is not shocked at our sins and failings!

This passage from the week's study on reforming the life challenges but ultimately reassures the believer - in the midst of our very tempting, relativistic culture.  It addresses our tendency to be weak and fall - but talks about it as we look at the rock-like certainty of Jesus power to keep us on the straight and narrow.

Paul encourages the Corinthians, saying,

13, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (ICor 10).

No temptation! - meaning, even then those under the sound of Paul's voice were dealing with nothing that hadn't happened before.  In Israel's ancient days...

 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come (verse 11).

Paul then hammers home the point --

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, [fn] that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ (I Cor 10:1-4)

 And the sad fact that --

with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness (ICor10:5) 

Temptations are not new, and believers are called to avoid and escape them! God was not pleased with that generation's response to temptations.  Their judgment time of death found them on the wrong side with God.  They gave in to their sin-problems and failed to draw on Jesus' power to live differently -- Scripture shows us the way,

The Psalmist warns, the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong (Psalms 125:3).

Jesus' heart has plumbed ours, saying I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:32)

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment (2Pe 2:9)

He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again (2Cr 1:10).

With public apologies pouring from podiums and pulpits all around us today in the culture - here is a strong Word reminding the believer of the very different standard God expects.  May we continue to be strong and confident in Him!