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Deliver us from Evil

Some more thoughts about blooming in hard places.

Logan Pass, Glacier National Park

Jesus prayed about our hard places.  He knew that we would have plenty of them.  He knew that life on this earth would not be easy for His followers.  So when He was praying (interceeding) for us, you and me, just before giving himself to death, he prayed, 


"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil."  John 17:15


This prayer of Jesus reminds me of what we call "The Lord's Prayer", where Jesus gave us an example of how to pray.  In that prayer he said,
"Lead us not into temptation, 
but deliver us from evil." John 6:13.

"Christians should exercise every ability which God has given them in an effort to answer this prayer.  They are to ask God earnestly and frequently to keep them from the evil in the world.  Christ has charged His followers to pray without ceasing.  Never fail to importune God in private prayer.  Never cease to intercede with him; for when you fail to pray, you are strengthless to resist Satan's temptations."  Signs of the Times, June 19, 1901.
Glacier Lilies, Cared for By God, Bloom Every Summer in Glacier Park

Jesus compared us to the wildflower (lilies of the field) growing on the hillside around him when he preached the Sermon on the Mount.  He said we don't need to worry because if God cares enough to clothe them in such lovely colors, how much more will he see to us.

A wildflower always lives in danger of being stepped on, but we have permission to pray that God will deliver us from evil.  Praise God.  God cares about our safety.  
Blooming in Beauty to the Glory of God

There is evil around everywhere, and it is because of the protective hand of God that we not destroyed.  There is also evil that wells up from within from our "fleshly nature."  Selfish impulses may be our greatest danger.  And they are evils that we don't always recognize for what they really are, the fruits of darkness.  Satan tempts us right where we are weakest.  But God wants to deliver us from this form of evil also, to even put our fleshly nature to death, crucified with him.  New life wells up with us then.  We can really bloom then, even in the hard places.  

My life, 
created by God, colored by God, 
sustained by God, preserved by God, 
is a glory to God.  


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Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 15, 2010 at 10:30 AM

    Beautiful photos to go with beautifully encouraging words. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. La Tea DahJanuary 17, 2011 at 12:47 PM

    I'm glad you enjoyed the Aunt Cella story. She writes a wonderful Christmas letter each year, and this was a portion of her 1969 letter. She has traveled the world, and each letter is oh, so interesting.

    ReplyDelete

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