1 Corinthians 10:1-14

1  Now I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. ⁵ But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did. ⁷ Don’t become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play. ⁸ Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead. ⁹ Let us not test Christ as some of them did and were destroyed by snakes. ¹⁰ Nor should we complain as some of them did,    and were killed by the destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹² So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.
¹⁴ Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry

 This section of scripture is a good reminder of what not to do.  When Israel was wandering through the desert, all were given the same opportunity.  All passed through the parted Red Sea. Everyone ate of the manna God provided for them, and they all drank the same drink.  No one was special.  No one was treated any different because of their earthly status.  However, God struck down most of them, because they were not pleasing to God.  God was not happy with the decisions they made.  One of the things they did was to set up a false god above the Lord God.  They placed other things above God.  Some of them could not contain their sexual desires, and God killed 23,000 in one day due to their sexual sins they committed in God's eyes.  Others tried God's patience, and were killed by snakes.  Still others mumbled and complained about their circumstances.  They complained that what they had was not good enough.  God gave them the desires of their hearts, and destroyed them in the midst of satisfying their desires.  

God wants us to know about all of these different events that happened in the wilderness.  God does not want us to be trapped in any of these things.  The main reason we are reminded of these things, is because God does not want us to fall to any of the same issues that the Israelites fell to.  This is why in verse 13 we are told that there is no temptation except what is common to man.  We all struggle with the same things as humans.  No one is special in what they get tempted in.  I do not get tempted any differently than anyone else.  I am tempted (and fail at times) with the same things.  

The second part of verse 13 and verse 14 is powerful though.  God is faithful.  God knows what we can handle.  God will not give us more than we can handle.  Often times it feels like a major battle and that God has given us more than we can handle, because we try to handle the whole situation on our own finite strength.  We are not designed to take the brunt of the force however.  It is why Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30: 
²⁸ “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
 Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy, and that He will give us rest when we go to Him.  Often times we dig our heels in, and say  "I can do all things through ME who strengthens me", instead of "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"  when we place our focus and our hope in Christ, He will provide a way of escaping the temptation we face, whether it's a physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional temptation we face. 

Most Christians can quote I Cor 10:13,   but the gloss over verse 14.
Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.  These words are just as powerful as the end of verse 13, saying God will provide the way of escape.  Often times this is the way of escape To RUN AWAY from the temptation!  If it is physical, get out of the area of temptation, If it is a mental battle, dive into the Word and remove the mental junk with spiritual knowledge. If it is spiritual, cry out to God and ask Him to help.  If it is emotional, call someone, for the Bible does say that we are to bear each other's burdens. (Not saying these are the only answers to deal with each attack, do what God says to you to do).

I know for me that I am not above any of this.  Many times I find myself in one of these positions.  I know God is working on my heart, revealing things to me that I need to do to take care of these things.  God is in control of all, and it is OK to ask for help when we are being tempted.  God will give us the strength to overcome the temptation, if we choose to overcome.

In Christ,

-Kevin