Temptation, 3

Temptation is far more insidious than most think. It is downright addictive, so much so that the Christian will take two or three steps towards it before the Arm of God bars him...and even then, sometimes he will push past that very Arm! It is the sweet poison to the starving sinner. Like the thirsty man fooled yet again by a mirage, it makes a man or woman of God nearly despair. And that is the point: It makes you come to a point wherein you realise that you must choose to be more content to die rather than drink that water. It is then, when you sit down by the persevering power of God with your back to that well, that you see the fresh drink proffered by God. Not to drink from His hand, is both insult and certain death.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. Matthew 16:24-27