Wednesday, November 16, 2022

This chapter in the gospel of Matthew is a familiar one. It chronicles the temptation of Jesus. Our Lord was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He was hungry after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. The devil approached Him and said “If you are the son of God, tell the stones to become bread. Jesus answered and said, “IT IS WRITTEN, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Satan then took Jesus to the roof of the temple and told him to jump off to prove that He was the Son of God. Taunting him, he declared that God would send angels to keep him from harm. Jesus told the devil that he should not put him to foolish tests. The devil then took him to the peak of a very high mountain and promised him the nations of the world if he would just kneel and worship him. Jesus’ response was directly from the scripture: “IT IS WRITTEN again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

PRAYER: Lord, thank you again for reminding me of the importance of reading the Word, meditating on the Word, and knowing the Word. Thank you for reminding me that the devil is a schemer and that he will use your Word for his purpose – taking it out of context to confuse me and to trip me up. Help me to be so tied up and tangled up in you that Satan’s motives come to naught. I declare that he is a powerless foe. IT IS WRITTEN! In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen