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Temptation and Scripture
Andrea Lende • April 14, 2021
Matthew 4: 4, 7, 10
Temptation and Scripture
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Temptation-and-Scripture-eusmh7
Matthew 4:4, 7, 10
“But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. [Deut. 8:3]”
“Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God. [Deut. 6:16]”
“Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve. [Deut. 6:13]”
Jesus had just been baptized.
The Holy Spirit had descended upon Him to rest in Him.
And then Lord spoke and said, “This is My Son, My Beloved with Whom I delight!”
Such a beautiful experience.
Probably one of the pinnacle experiences for Jesus here on this earth only to be escorted by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for forty days and nights and be tempted by the devil.
Jesus was without food and sustenance for over a month before His temptation came.
He was a prime target for the enemy because He was at His weakest.
Jesus didn’t use His own strength and words to fight the enemy.
He used God’s Word.
Each time Satan tried to lure Jesus into deception He used a Bible verse to fight him off.
As I read the verses Jesus quoted, I found myself desiring the knowledge He had and using it successfully as He did.
Of course, first came condemnation.
I immediately thought about the weight I wanted to lose and wished for the strength Jesus demonstrated in our passage today.
He said “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. [Deut. 8:3]”
After condemnation came then conviction came.
I have been relying on food rather than the Lord when feelings of overwhelm turned to stress.
However, now I know this is a lesson that I need to learn.
First, memorize more scripture.
And second, use scripture instead of my own strength and reasoning when fighting the enemy.
Today I choose to learn more of the Word so I can use it to successfully fight the enemy.
May you find the Word is packed full of knowledge and wisdom that will help you fight the enemy and live a powerful life unto the Lord.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for pouring Your Wisdom into my soul as I read Your Word. Thank You that I can freely read Your Word and freely worship You. Thank You for drawing me to You and drawing me to Your Word so I can learn more about You and Your Son. Jesus lived His life so we can live ours better. He died so we can be changed and become more like You. Search my heart and cleanse all the impurities You find. Purify my heart and sanctify my soul. Help me love as You love. Help me fight the enemy with Your strength and Wisdom. Strengthen me in every way to remain steady in the days of trial and adversity. Increase my faith and reliance in You. Ready me for Your service today. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM strengthening you as you learn more of My ways so you can withstand the trials before you and serve My people.
Response: Help me be obedient to You and hear only Your voice, Lord.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.