Caught Red-handed
Posted in Daily Focus on Thursday, July 24, 2014
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12).
The red flags were all there. As a homeschooling parent, you would have thought I would have seen the little signs much sooner — struggling in daily work but getting straight "A's" on quizzes and tests, erased answers on tests, the desire to correct their own work, and teacher keys in the wrong place on the shelf. My trust in my children blinded me to the fact that they ever would succumb to the temptation to take the easy way out and cheat. It was a sad day when I found out the truth.
God tempered my discipline of my children that day with the knowledge that I, too, take the easy way out in many areas of my life. I often think my secret little sins of laziness, procrastination, and overeating will not find me out, and I continue ignoring God in the areas of my life where He wants to discipline me.
How about you? Are you cheating on preparing your lesson plans, your devotion time with the Lord, or some personal habit that is robbing God of His glory? "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). Christ understands what you are going through because He suffered the same types of temptations when He was on Earth. Praise God that He has provided a way for us to win over temptations! "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Look for the way of escape today. Make no provision for the flesh.
Lord, don't let me cheat You out of all You desire for me. Show me those areas of my life that I need to bring under Your Lordship. Thank You for Your forgiveness each time I fail. Help me to see the way of escape and take the strength You provide to be obedient to You and Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Comments(8 comments)
KORIN S 07/24/2009 05:33:38
Thanks for these great devotionals. I cannot tell you how much they have spoken to me over the last week since I started getting them in my inbox. God is speaking to me through them! Thank you again for your willingness to minister!
In His strength,
Korin
homeschooling mother of 3 boys
CHARLENE S 07/24/2009 06:09:33
This has been one of my biggest fears! But I know that I can't get lazy and pray that with the Lord's help I can do this! I love the AOP devos, they are very uplifting!! THANKS
07/27/2009 16:07:10
So true!! I find these devotionals uplifting and helpful. I love using AOP. Is there any other families in Ohio that use Aop?
Regina B
homeschooling the last 3 of my children
graduated 2 with Aop
JANET W 07/24/2010 05:04:25
I know that there is someone out there who I will never meet; a real person, who writes from the heart these encouraging devotionals. This one hit home in an incredibly special way. You will never know how perfectly chosen your words are and how God opens eyes and hearts with your message. Your ministry is valuable and urgently needed. Please know that somewhere out here is a real person whose heart is aching for the exact words of support and encouragement that you are writing. I don't know how God does things like this, but it feels exactly as if you know me and my struggling family. While my daughter does not seem to be tempted at all to cheat in her school work, my husband and I are daily falling to the temptations you mentioned that rob us of all God has for us. The Bible references will serve as a place for me to start this morning as I seek the lessons he has for me today. Thank you so much for ministering to me personally every morning. You have become my trusted friend at a time when I really needed one. Praise God! May he bring you and yours untold joy and fulfillment on this very day as He commends you for loving the body of Christ through your work.
Broken in Louisiana
MAYA T 07/24/2011 11:22:56
I have been so lazy on my house work that I cannot get motivated. Since I have been sick and I am not getting well, there has been a 3yr gap on me being able and then not able. Now I am having to be able again and not wanting to. I have longed for the day to be able, and now that I am, I am so lazy. I repent and I ask you Lord to help me get my house in order. amen.
KATHY S 07/24/2012 06:09:57
Maya T,
Don\'t be so hard on yourself. God knows your heart and he knows of your illnesses. I too have been bombarded with illness/injury for a long time on top of being disabled. My Doctor told me a long time ago that I should focus on my son and not worry so much about the housework, as my son will be grown before I knew it.
My Doctor has since then gone home to be with our Lord Jesus, but, I always remember her words.
Each time I think that the house is getting better (and that\'s with the help of having someone come and clean at least a couple of the rooms) I get another set back. I have learned to just accept my inability and do the best that I can.
So do the best you can when you are able. And remember 3 years of being unable and then all of a sudden having some ability to do your housework is overwhelming in itself. And one person can only do so much at a time.
I hope that with God\'s help you will be able to do whatever you can and feel better. :)
These devotionals truly are a Blessing for all. I used to say I never had time to pray in the morning (imagine my complete stupidity in that statement).
Since I started homeschooling, these devotionals have been my reminder and I actually look forward to reading them, responding and most importantly praying first thing in the morning. Amazing how God can put all things into place for us!
Thank you Jesus for another day!
NELDA G 07/24/2012 06:18:51
We were finishing up in May and caught my 15 year old son cheating on his Algebra 2. He had been slipping the book and writing down answers. The work didn\'t match the answers. So now my son has learned a great life lesson. He is repeating the subject through the summer. Which he admits that he is happy he is doing now because he is actually learning things he missed.
BRENDA B 07/24/2012 07:47:49
I am a pastor\'s wife, have 3 boys, and have had chronic pain for 22 yrs.
I have had to purpose in my heart to do what I can with God\'s help. I ask Him to order my day each day, and then I pray for His help to do the most important things. Sometimes (last night) I get a migrane and it is tough to deal with it. But what the Lord is showing me is that my children are learning to be compassionate toward others who have weakness. I would never have chosen to be ill, I had Lupus for 8 yrs and healed, but still have fibromyalgia and scoliosis. But God\'s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts not our thoughts. So If you have an illness or just overwhelmed, remember to get in the Word each day, pray for Him to help you to do the most important things. Order your day and give you a heart of wisdom. What you will find is that your children will learn to be more... helpful, compassionate, kind, and hopefully become better for your example of not giving up even when it it painful and hard. Talk to them about God\'s unconditional love, and that illness is not always to be considered a punishment. I was in the Lord\'s will when I became ill 22yrs ago. But eight years later, at a women\'s retreat while reading Psalm 139, I felt the Lord leading me to get off of the 5 medications that I had been on for 8yrs. and prepare my body for having a baby! As I obeyed the Lord, and began halfing and quartering my pills to get off of meds. the Lord healed me of Lupus. I got routine bloodwork and they called to tell me that all of the 4 things that are on the Lupus test were completely clear! I was not suppose to have any children, but now the Lord has given me 3 boys. I have not been painfree, It has not been an easy road, but Life is wonderful when you have a God that loves you and supplys all of your need, according to His riches in Glory through Christ Jesus our Lord. Never ever give up! He promises not to leave us, He will walk the journey with YOU! Blessings! BB