Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Mat 4:1-11)
Personal observations:
- Where was He tempted? The word translated desert is eremos meaning "lonesome, i.e.
(by impl.) waste:--desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness." Jesus' temptation came in a lonely place. A desolate wilderness.
- What was His personal condition? He was hungry. Not full or satisfied. Needy. Weak.
- Who led him there? The Holy Spirit. This was God's leading, plan, purpose.
- Who did the tempting? Satan, the Tempter, the devil.
- How did He fight temptation? With the Word of God - the sharp double-edged sword of the Spirit.
Personal reflections:
At times, God leads me into the weak, needy, lonely wilderness to sword-fight the enemy ...
On purpose.
Because He loves me.
To bring glory to Himself.
My shield of faith becomes stronger and my sword-handling skills improve with use.
No comments:
Post a Comment