And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” There are so many things to learn from this story of Jesus. He was led by the Spirit to the wilderness, intentionally. He was there to face temptation. The temptations were specific, each one aimed at who he was and how he would accomplish his purpose. I read these words about the temptation to turn stones into bread from Ken Gire’s book, Moments with the Savior, this morning and they struck right to my heart.
The temptation is not to make Jesus doubt himself but to depend on himself. Since the Father hasn’t lifted a finger to alleviate his suffering, why not take things into his own hands? After all, it’s been forty days. Who would blame him? But Jesus doesn’t take the baited hook. Instead he answers, “It is written: ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Regardless of how consuming his hunger, Jesus would rather be fed with the smallest crust of his Father’s word than with an entire landscape of fresh bread from anywhere else. These words challenge me. I am so prone to take things into my own hands instead of trusting a loving God, especially when I am in the wilderness. I need to learn to take the crust of God’s word and see it as more valuable than any feast I can make for myself. Prayer Loving Father Thank you for your Word and embed it in my heart and mind so I can face the wilderness. Teach me to trust in your provision, first and to act only with your guidance. Amen
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan