Because He Does
By Sarah Walker
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)
I longed for something tangible that would objectively represent the inner turmoil I was feeling.
I was a teenager desperately hurting inside. The temptation was more than I could bear on my own. I longed for something tangible that would objectively represent the inner turmoil I was feeling. The temptation to physically cut myself was real. That temptation was thick, almost tangible in its oppressiveness. I sat crouched on the bathroom floor, arms wrapped around myself as though holding me together.
I achingly cried, “Jesus, help me!”
“Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit...You are not your own,
you were bought with a price.” (1)
The verse resonated through my being, striking my soul: a reminder of the truth found in the Bible...dangling there as a life raft for me to grab and cling to with every fiber of my being. In my extreme desperation, I grabbed on and repeated the phrases over and over again until the urge subsided.
This was not the first, nor would it be my last encounter with this deep temptation. But each time, Jesus was right there with me, in the very center and depth of my struggles and temptation. It is only because of His power and persistence that I can say today that I have walked through that temptation. I don’t have scars on my wrists today because my Savior does. It is because of His proven faithfulness that I can say, “God is faithful.”
I can trust Jesus no matter what comes my way. While He is fully God, Jesus walked this earth as one of us. He understands our pain, our temptations and our struggles. He has wept, and He has laughed. He has been tempted. He has been there. And yet, He remained obedient to the will of the Father.
He fully understands what it is to be tempted and then to turn away from that temptation. Since our God came to earth as a human, He can empathize with us. He can and will come alongside us... showing us the way forward through whatever temptation or trial comes our way. If we but trust him, He is faithful.
GOING DEEPER:
1. How has Jesus revealed His faithfulness to you? Share that with someone today.
2. If you need to, apply that truth forward to whatever temptations and trials you are facing today.
FURTHER READING:
Sarah is married to Scott and is a full-time mom to their two young sons. She and Scott co-lead a summer/winter neighborhood small group.
(1) 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
