Day 8: Deliver Us from Evil
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take a few deep breaths. Spend a few moments gathering your thoughts, becoming aware of God’s presence with you and in you.
Journal for 5 minutes on yesterday’s experiment of forgiving others. What did you notice and learn? What challenged you? Did God say anything to you throughout the day?
Then, begin today’s devotional.
Read: Matthew 6:13, John 16:33
The search for expert adviceis the grail quest of American culture. Books, news columns, podcasts, and self-professed “life coaches” broadcast a therapeutic vision of the world—a vision of self-motivation, self-help, and self-care.
But what happens when the experts fail us? What happens when we can no longer save ourselves?
The Lord’s Prayer is a much-needed corrective, a rebuttal to the idolatry of me, myself, and I. It acknowledges the manifold forces in our world (namely sin and death) that eclipse the project of self-actualization. Jesus instructs us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil” in a world marred by sin and human rebellion. The prayer acknowledges our sole dependence upon God and petitions His help in the face of Evil.
Like Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, we may “wish the Ring had never come to [us],” but like most trials in this life, it is foolish to think we can control the path of the tempest, or harness the weight of Sin’s malady.
Jesus loves us too much to let us remain in the realm of magical thinking. He commands us to seek God, and God alone, to deliver us from Evil.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Scripture promises that You will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). Thank you for the witness we have received through Jesus Christ. May we keep our eyes fixed on Him, even in the midst of the changes and chances of this life. When we experience the reality of Evil in our lives, bring to mind the words of Jesus: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Amen.
Today's Experiment: When you experience difficulty and hardship, what is your first response? Do you immediately protest? Emote? Grieve? Do you text a friend? Do you pray? Inhabit the spiritual discipline of turning to God first in the midst of life’s challenges.
By Dr. Jeremiah Webster, Associate Professor of English