13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:13 NKJV
What do you do when you’re tempted to do evil?
We think temptation comes in a display of blatant disregard of the truth, or something that we feel is wrong but is oh-so-good. Yet, temptation has many forms.
One of which I will write to you about today.
Temptation from Protection.
Why would temptation from protection entice us? We like our shelter, comfort, safety; yet, our desires can draw us away. Maybe there is something better. Maybe there was something better.
Everybody knows the saying “the grass may be greener on the other side” or “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. These sayings tell us to weigh our options, have variety, etc. However, if you have the best, why search for more? Why step out? Why step out on God?
Let’s look at an example in scripture.
Genesis 19:20-22 NKJV says:
20See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
In chapter 19 of Genesis, God aimed to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah or SIN City, and gave warning to Lot and his family. He granted them safety in Him if they obeyed His instruction which was to flee from sin. As promised, God fulfilled it in the following verses as He destroyed the city and kept Lot. However, Lot’s wife [unnamed] sees the consequence of succumbing to temptation from protection.
24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
God always reminds us that once we leave sin behind, never turn back. Lot’s wife did the opposite. We don’t know her reason; we don’t know what she saw or if she was just curious, but what we see is that preservation is in God, and desolation is in sin. Whichever you choose dictates the path you’re headed towards.
Psalms 91:2 NKJV gives us insight to how we remain under God’s protection: “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
Emphasis on Trust.
Think about it. When you fully believe in something or someone, it is hard to change your mind. Your loyalty doesn’t waver and you are stubborn to the decision you made. Likewise, what God wants from us when temptation comes is to be hard-headed in Him. To remember there is nothing better than Him. To not give in to what appears to be better. To recount what the Word says about His protection. Psalm 91:4 NKJV:
“He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.“
So what will you learn from Lot’s wife? Will you live in God, trust Him, acknowledge that He will protect you? Or will you give in to your desires even if leads to destruction?
Think about it.
If you don’t know about protection in God, I encourage you to dig deeper. Read Psalm 91. God has the best insurance policy out here because He covers ALL things. Don’t believe me? Read it for yourself. It’s listed right there in the passage.
Just remember this:
There is no reason to turn back, when there is much to look forward to.
Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sin
Proverbs 10:12 NKJV
Heart of a Preacher's Kid 
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