NOT INTO TEMPTATION

"Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself." - Rita Mae Brown

As I have been consciously praying the Lord's Prayer daily over this past year, the one phrase that I haven't given as much attention to as all the others is also the one most commentaries struggle to explain: "Lead us not into temptation".

On the face of it, it's a weird thing to pray. The Bible makes it clear that God does not tempt people:

James 1:13 "When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone."

So why would we pray that He not lead us into temptation?

Maybe "temptation" is not even the target. The word Jesus uses in His prayer is also translated as "trial" in some places.

Again in James: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (1:2-4)

And God does lead people into trials at times. Most famously, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness where He had to face off against Satan.

And if it makes you squeamish to think of God putting you to a test, then you're not really aware of your daily situation down here on earth.

Because if you think about it, God can't really say a single word to you without it becoming a test. As soon as He says "Forgive that coworker", for example, it has become a trial of your willingness to obey.

Will you forgive or won't you? God's not going to be tempting you to disobey. He's on your side and wants what's best for you.

In the end, I guess I have always read "lead us not into temptation" as being equivalent to "lead us away from temptation". 

Maybe it's a clever way to get us to think about the alternative. If God is not leading us into temptation - and He's not - then where is He leading us? 

Into victory, strength, and satisfaction in Him.