Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Luke 4:1-13
Set – Daniel 8; Luke 4
Go! – Daniel 7-8; Psalms 137; Luke 4
Luke 4:1-13
1 When Jesus returned from the Jordan River, He was full of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit led Him away from the cities and towns and out into the desert.
2 For 40 days, the Spirit led Him from place to place in the desert, and while there, the devil tempted Jesus. Jesus was fasting, eating nothing during this time, and at the end, He was terribly hungry. 3 At that point, the devil came to Him.
Devil: Since You’re the Son of God, You don’t need to be hungry. Just tell this stone to transform itself into bread.
Jesus: 4 It is written in the Hebrew Scriptures, “People need more than bread to live.”
5 Then the devil gave Jesus a vision. It was as if He traveled around the world in an instant and saw all the kingdoms of the world at once.
Devil: 6 All these kingdoms, all their glory, I’ll give to You. They’re mine to give because this whole world has been handed over to me. 7 If You just worship me, then everything You see will all be Yours. All Yours!
Jesus: 8 Get out of My face, Satan! The Hebrew Scriptures say, “Worship and serve the Eternal One your God—only Him—and nobody else.”
9 Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem, and he transported Jesus to stand upon the pinnacle of the temple.
Devil: Since You’re the Son of God, just jump. Just throw Yourself into the air. 10 You keep quoting the Hebrew Scriptures. They themselves say,
He will put His heavenly messengers in charge of You,
to keep You safe in every way.
11 And,
They will hold You up in their hands
so that You do not smash Your foot against a stone.
Jesus: 12 Yes, but the Hebrew Scriptures also say, “You will not presume on God; you will not test the Lord, the one True God.”
13 The devil had no more temptations to offer that day, so he left Jesus, preparing to return at some other opportune time.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
The devil is sneaky. He knows your weaknesses. He can’t make you do something, but like a good fisherman, he knows the best lures to use catch you. He tried to catch Me after I had spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness. I won’t remind you about your last fast, but 40 days is a long time and I was hungry, weak, and My brain was focused on food, not on debating Satan.
That’s exactly when Satan came. He caught Me at My weakest and tempted Me at My weakest point. “Just turn these rocks into bread.” He knew I was present at creation and could do it. He knew I could satisfy My hunger just by picking up one of those rocks and suddenly it could become edible. But I wasn’t going to let My human side overpower My spirit. The stakes were too high. I came to live without falling to Satan’s tricks and showing you I could help you defeat him. How could I do that if let your adversary defeat Me even in these small areas.
But Satan tried. My word tells you I was tempted in every area of life in which you are tempted, but without sin. I never acted on the temptations Satan sent My way. Sometimes, as in the wilderness during My fast, I had to stand on the scriptures I studied as a child to repel his advances. At other times, like you, I found the exit and got away to show you running away from him is okay. In all cases, I will never allow you to be tempted beyond your capability to either withstand or get away from the temptation. You can say no to Satan’s temptations just as I did.
The brief mention of My temptations in the wilderness covered some tough areas – physical needs, political power, and an easy path to demonstrate My Godhead authority and power. Those are tough temptations for the human mind. Stop and think about it a moment. What I knew I would endure for you and the easy path Satan offered from a human perspective to avoid the suffering. But I knew it wouldn’t work and the Father deserved My worship more.
You know what your weakest points are. Expect Satan to hit you there. He’s sly as a fox. But remember I will always make a way of escape for you. I will always help you if you will turn to Me for strength. I came to show you the way. I lived alongside you to show you that you can defeat him with My help. I came to help you live like I want you to live with abundant peace and joy. He’s the father of lies. I know, I was there when the Father kicked him out of heaven. I’ve already overcome him and his minions, they just haven’t figured it out yet. Follow Me and you’ll be on the side of the Victor!
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