You're listening to Encounter, a collection of sacred meditations to help you encounter

the divine presence of God throughout your day.

Thomas Merton once said that the biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.

We have a deep longing in our hearts to be loved, but we settle for a cookie.

We crave being wanted, but we're content with a bowl of ice cream.

And we often claim we want to be delivered from temptation while also keeping in close

touch with it, pushing temptation away just not too far.

You know what makes resisting temptation so difficult is that we don't want to discourage

it completely, or you ever tempt it to replace holy satisfaction with cheap, earthly offerings.

While the essence of this meditation from James 1 is temptation, embracing the truth that

you will never be satisfied until you are completely satisfied with God.

I pray you will discover there is nothing more to want than God.

God loves you, God wants you, and your heart can feed on this alone.

So to begin your meditation, slip into a time to be content, a place to feel satisfied,

in a moment to be delighted knowing you are being desired by the Holy Father, Son and

Holy Spirit.

Confident resting now in this divine moment, listen and respond to this reading now from

James 1, and as I lead us, and it's our Heavenly Father, keep me from being tempted.

May the Lord bless the hearing and reading of His Word.

Blessed are those who remain steadfast under trial and Heavenly Father.

Keep me from being tempted.

The steadfast who have stood the test will receive the crown of life.

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