Christmas devotions: Jan.5, 2018

Friday January 5

Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation in the Wilderness

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One does not live by bread alone,
   but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
“He will command his angels concerning you”,
   and “On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is 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 splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
   and serve only him.” ’
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

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“… the tempter came and said to Him… but He answered, ‘IT IS WRITTEN…’ the devil said to Him, ‘IT IS WRITTEN…’ Jesus said to him, ‘On the other hand, IT IS WRITTEN…’ the devil said to him … then Jesus said to him, ‘Go Satan, for IT IS WRITTEN… then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.”

As the devil demonstrated in the tempting of Jesus in the wilderness, he is quite good at not only quoting God’s Word out of context, but also twisting It to fit his purposes/plans.  However, to Jesus, Who KNEW the Scripture, the devil’s words meant nothing.  Jesus fired back the TRUE WORD, in context and untwisted!  The devil tried three times and each time, Jesus had THE ANSWER OF TRUTH that cancelled the devil’s misrepresentations.

This Scripture passage is just as apropos today.  The US Treasury doesn’t waste time showing its agents all the ways to make counterfeits, but instead focuses the training on knowing the real thing so well that a fake can immediately be recognized.  We, as Christians, should operate the same way.  WE NEED TO KNOW GOD’S WORD SO WELL THAT “SATAN’S LIES” ARE SPOTTED IMMEDIATELY AND THEN DELETED/CANCELLED BY THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD!  Whatever temptation comes our way, there is an answer in God’s Word.

Prayer: Dear God-Thank You that You are faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond our ability; but with the temptation You will also provide the way of escape, that we may be able to endure it. (1 Cor 10:13)

Thank You for Your Holy Word.  May we, like Jesus, CHOOSE to know It and boldly proclaim It when the devil comes in with his lies.  May we also truly believe what Your precious Word declares about You, about us, about our adversary the devil, and about our circumstances.

“Greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world!”

In the Precious and Holy Name of Jesus, we pray, AMEN!

Deb Lyon