Wednesday, November 19th

Today’s Scripture

“If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life’s difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test with faith, and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God! When you are tempted don’t ever say, ‘God is tempting me,’ for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and he is never the source of temptation. Instead it is each person’s own desires and thoughts that drag them into evil and lure them away into darkness. Evil desires give birth to evil actions. And when sin is fully mature it can murder you! So my friends, don’t be fooled by your own desires! Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change. God was delighted to give us birth by the truth of his infallible Word so that we would fulfill his chosen destiny for us and become the favorite ones out of all his creation!”

James 1:2–18

Today’s Thought

If you can’t walk away from something God has instructed you to avoid, you’ve discovered your real temptation. Temptation always carries a desire that must be conquered to gain victory. Stopping something you don’t even want to do isn't victory — choosing obedience in the face of desire is.

Today’s Challenge

Identify one temptation you face and take a practical, immediate step to walk away from it today.