While everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.

Matthew 12 25 26 it was summertime.

And the man's garden was doing well. The beans and the radishes and the.

Tomatoes were all growing, but so were the weeds. Weeds are nasty little critters, part of.

The curse that came in the original garden as a result of Adam's sin.

Against the command of God. We didnt plant them, but there they are.

And if we dont manage them properly, they will take over our gardens. So we hoe them, pull them, spray them, and burn them.

But they just keep coming back. Thanks, Adam.

Temptations are like weeds.

They pop up where we dont want.

Them and when we least expect them. Usually when we lower our garden arent paying attention.

They are persistent, too.

We defeat a temptation one day, only.

To discover that it comes right back the next.

And like weeds, we dare not let temptations take root, for they will take over our life. As you battle temptation, there are several things to remember. First, remember that you are not alone in the battle.

Everyone faces temptation, even Jesus.

Also remember that while you cant stop temptation from coming, you can overcome it. The apostle Paul wrote, God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Importantly, remember that you can avoid some temptations by avoiding places or situations where they are most likely to occur.

Augustine once said, I cannot stop birds from flying over my head, but I can stop them from making nests in my hair.

Stay alert, wrote Peter. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him. The only way to keep weeds under control in the garden is to stay alert and deal with them when they are small.

That, my friends, is exactly how we.

Need to deal with temptation in our lives as well.

This has been your thought for the day with Steve Burkham, pastor of Community Christian Church in Stockton, California. If you have questions or comments for Pastor Steve, please send them to dailythoughtspodcastmail.com. Have a great day, and we hope youll join us tomorrow as pastor Steve opens God's word to bring us another thought for the day.