Day 9: Be Alert At All Times
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
Matthew 4:1-7 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/mat.4.1-7.NKJV
It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to be tempted by the devil. Do know that it is not God who tempts us but allow temptations to be around us. If we are tempted, we cannot say that we are tempted by God (James 1:13). God does test us though. The classic example is when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son to test his faith for God. The challenge is when we are tested, we must endure, just as Jesus endured when He fasted 40 days and 40 nights. By this fasting, He showed His total reliance upon God the Father. Note that the tempter came when Jesus was very hungry at the end of the 40 days and nights. Just as we thought we have endured until the 40th night and may feel proud of our "achievements", the tempter might come. Hence, we must be alert AT ALL TIMES, totally surrendering to God. Help us, Lord. Amen.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
Matthew 4:1-7 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/mat.4.1-7.NKJV
It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to be tempted by the devil. Do know that it is not God who tempts us but allow temptations to be around us. If we are tempted, we cannot say that we are tempted by God (James 1:13). God does test us though. The classic example is when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son to test his faith for God. The challenge is when we are tested, we must endure, just as Jesus endured when He fasted 40 days and 40 nights. By this fasting, He showed His total reliance upon God the Father. Note that the tempter came when Jesus was very hungry at the end of the 40 days and nights. Just as we thought we have endured until the 40th night and may feel proud of our "achievements", the tempter might come. Hence, we must be alert AT ALL TIMES, totally surrendering to God. Help us, Lord. Amen.
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