When failure hits, it can feel final. Shame, regret, and fear can crowd out any sense of hope, leaving us convinced that we’ve gone too far to be restored. In this pastoral letter, Oggy writes to “Dan” – and to anyone who has ever felt spiritually ruined – with honest, practical counsel rooted in Scripture […]
Fantasy has never been more popular. Every time a person buys a lottery ticket, there is a fantasy behind it – houses, cars, holidays, retirement and lifestyle. Have you ever pondered what you would do if you had hit the jackpot? In October 2018, an anonymous winner in South Carolina scooped $1537 million. In 2019, sales of lotteries in America alone reached $91.32 billion, up from $85.59 billion in 2018. This represents a 1 in 300,000 chance of winning which is higher than the EuroMillions Lottery ratio of 1 in 45 million! Gambling does not make long term winners – studies show those winning will often lose what they have won within 10 years as well as gaining many worries and a possible addiction along the way. This cruise ship looks idyllic but eventually all passengers return to face the realities in their home port!
It is in the very nature of temptation that it is hard to resist and that it is common to every single person. Temptation takes many forms and has many disguises but be in no doubt that the aim of the one who tempts is to rob you of joy in your walk with God and the ultimate goal is to ruin you.
‘No one is above temptation. No one is above life in general’ – Kevin Jonas
And yet, every temptation is an opportunity either to bring glory to God through overcoming it or to bring pain to your soul through giving in.
