You Shall Not Pass

    I had a friend who worked at a pizza place a while ago. One day there was a fire at the shop. Much of it burned down and they were out of business for 2 years. As they were going through the wreckage, he found a Christmas sweater of his that said, "you shall not pass."

   If you are familiar with this quote, you know it is from the Lord of the Rings. Gandalf says it as he is facing the Balrog, a creature covered in flame. Gandalf knows that he must stop this creature if the fellowship is to continue with their journey. Stop it he does.

   My friend's sweater went through a fire and survived. Gandalf faced a fire and survived. We, too, face fires in our lives. The fire may look different at different times. Sometimes we face temptation, jealousy, hatred, and many other sins. During these times, we must say to the devil, "you shall not pass."

   1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful he 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 endure it." Temptation is common to us all. God is with us in the fires of temptation. He is there reminding you of his love and that he has given you a way out of the fire.

   We know we will face the fire. Yet, there are ways we can become more fireproof. As we grow in God, we learn more about him. We learn about his desires and love for us and all those in the world. We know he loves us, but we should not go on sinning. One of the reasons we are here is to learn about who God is and have a relationship with him. It is through a strong relationship with God, that we can better defend ourselves against the fires of temptation.

   So, what fires have you faced in your life? How can you defend yourself against temptation? How can you show God's love to others today?