The Lord's Prayer, Phrase by Phrase, Part 9: "Lead us not into temptation"
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Does God really lead anyone into temptation? The answer is no. In the translation of this text, the word "temptation" is the same as "test" or "trial." This sentence is a request for protection and a promise of obedience to God's guidance. When we walk in obedience to God, God can refine us and make us better without allowing unnecessary pain and suffering (tests or trials) in our experience. Like any good parent, God does not like to see his children suffer. Suffering is not always educational. Sometimes, suffering is just painful. We don't learn anything useful. There are no spiritual insights, great or small. We just suffer. Like any good parent, God would prefer we learn from His instr...