It might be hard to think about fall as hot as it still is in early September, but now is a good time to mark your calendar for Friday, Oct. 29. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., there will be snacks, a hayride, games, a devotional and lots of fun for the whole family. The cost is $6 per person or $20 per family. Don’t miss it!
Two weeks have passed since Teen II at Delanco. Usually by now, I have fallen from my spiritual high and have successfully made a mess of my heart. However, I praise God because my life currently is a great contrast to my previous stumbling. With the diligent prayers of my brothers and sisters in Christ and a renewed mentality to seek God more and more, temptation has failed to overcome me. The funny thing is that I’ve left Delanco armed with prayers and focus before. Why were these two post-camp weeks any different from previous years? To take it a step further, what about those other weeks and weekends where I’d been so close to God only to fail the next day? The problem was me. Not God, not other people, but me.
Retreats and camps are designed with activities and lessons whose job is to maintain a focus on God. And, as much as I hate to admit it, when we come back from a retreat or camp the activities and responsibilities with which we are involved normally don’t point to God. On top of that, there are very real enemies waiting for the right opportunity to break us down. This isn’t our fault because there are things beyond our control, but for what we do control—our bodies, our minds, and our hearts—we are at fault if such is the cause for our follies. Remember, the serpent merely offers the fruit; it is our choice whether we take it or not. So how do we fortify ourselves to stand up to temptation?
The first step is filling up your heart with God. When I mentioned I was blessed enough to resist temptation, that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything tempting me. Contrarily, temptation loomed over my head everyday and continues to do so even now. God tells Cain in verse 7 of Genesis 4, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Sin roams like a roaring lion, waiting for the opportune moment to pounce. Sin desires you. Sin wants to occupy your heart. The solution? Fill up on God.
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