January 16 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

The theme of the month is spiritual war. Jesus won the battle not by might but by obedience. He is the source of salvation for all who obey him. When we have stood the test, we will share Christ's glory.

Bible Reading:

Hebrews 4:14–16

Bible Text:

[The Son of God] has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin (Heb. 4:15).

Devotional:

Christ faced every kind of temptation that we encounter. He felt the hunger pangs that make people steal and kill for a loaf of bread. He had the same fear of pain and death that makes people give everything, literally everything, to keep death at a distance. But Jesus surrendered himself in obedience to the Father. He was "tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin."

We know nothing about Christ's sexual temptations, and we have no record that he was tempted to get rich. But his teachings on these matters show he knew everything about human sexuality and covetousness.

Yet he did not sin. That means he experienced the wickedness of sin much better than we do. For our past transgressions and sinful environment have blunted our sensitivities. Christ's sinlessness also means he did not experience how previous sins can weaken our resistance to new temptations. For us, old sins, like broken windows, expose us to the chill of a new attack.

Jesus regards us with great sympathy as we fight our temptations. But he doesn't take it lightly when we slip. We must run to him in prayer and boldly ask for strength to resist the devil and for grace to do God's will.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.