Temptation

I have dreamed of riches and have feared poverty.

I have had more than I needed and less than I desired.

“Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30: 8b-9

When I lived on the Eastern Shore, the manager of the store I worked asked me to keep an eye on another employee for fear she would steal from the cash register. My co-worker and her husband were having financial difficulties. Immediately I wondered if she had done the same for me.

Interestingly the year before we moved there I had two neighbors who were thieves. The one would steal just for fun. The other would steal a can of tuna from the little store next to our apartment complex to feed her baby. At that time I had no idea that I would be in such a financial situation where stealing might be considered an option. Working as a cashier did give me opportunity but I never once thought of taking from that register. It wasn’t an easy time but our needs were met and the experience drew me closer to the Lord.

During our financial crisis my husband and I had no money for food. Dave Ramsey will tell you that food and shelter comes first then the rest of the bills fall in line after them. We didn’t know about Dave Ramsey back then but my husband did know how to fish.  He would dig up some worms then head out to catch us our meals. We ate a lot of perch, had some rock, some blue and some flounder. We also would have crabs and invite the neighbors over for dinner.

There was this one place he liked to go where I would spend the day reading on the beach while he was out on the jetty fishing. Even though no one else would catch any fish we always had plenty to take home.  One time a couple of guys who had been fishing near him gave up early. As they walked by me one of them said as he was shaking his head “Your husband is the only one out there that is catching anything.” I smiled at him knowing that it was the Lord who was providing for us.

One day my husband decided that if I helped him fish we could have twice the amount that he usually brought home. I’m not a fisherman but I agreed to do it. So out on the jetty we both go. He cuts off a tiny piece of worm and attaches it on my hook. The rod I was using didn’t have a reel so I just dropped the line in the water. Before he could cut off a piece of worm for his hook I had a fish. So he pulled the fish in, took it off the hook, put another tiny piece of worm on my hook. I dropped it in the water.

“I’ve got a fish! I’ve got a fish!” I cried before he was able to cut a piece of worm for his hook. He pulled in the fish, took it off the hook, put another tiny piece of worm on my hook and I dropped it in the water. 

“I’ve got a fish! I’ve got a fish!” I cried again. “Go sit on the beach” he barked as I happily went back to reading on the beach. I felt as though the Lord was telling us, just as He did the Israelites in the desert with the manna, that we were only to have what we needed.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. I Cr 10:13 NASB