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Leg 1 Day 24
TOOLS FOR THE WILDERNESS
Jesus With Us
Scripture:
MATTHEW 4:1-11 (MSG)
Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: “Since you are God’s Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread.”
Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth.”
For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, “Since you are God’s Son, jump.” The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: “He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.”
Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: “Don’t you dare test the Lord your God.”
For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, “They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.”
Jesus’s refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!” He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.”
The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’s needs.
SEE ALSO: MARK 1:12–13; LUKE 4:1–13
Life Lessons from Jesus:
A spiritual high, followed immediately by a lonely trek into the wilderness without food, temptation His only companion? That would have been quite the comedown for Jesus following His hearing the pleased affirmation of His Father and having the Holy Spirit descend on Him like a dove. But while He was struggling, Jesus held fast to what He knew, what He carried with Him always: God’s Word and God’s promises.
Jesus resisted hunger and temptation by quoting Scripture. He knew what God’s promises said and what God wanted, so He used those as beacons to follow when everything else became difficult, when He was most likely at the end of His rope.
Jesus had invested time studying God’s Word so He would be ready for whatever came His way and would have something to hold on to when circumstances seemed bleak or unfair. Jesus entered the wilderness full of the Spirit and left the wilderness in the power of the Spirit.
What do you do when you’re facing adversity? We all experience some extreme ups and downs. It’s easy to give in or give up when we have nothing to hold on to, no clear direction. Quitting feels easiest when we’re trying to find it solely in ourselves to keep going. Jesus knows the despair of our lows, and He knows the potential of our strength even when we can’t see it. Praise God that He has provided tools, such as Scripture, to help us in those low times.
The WAY:
Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:
Who are your go-to people to help you face adversity?
Do you have any go-to Scriptures to encourage yourself when you experience hard times?
What has sustained you when you have faced difficulty or despair?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for the power of Your Word to protect and guide me when I’m going through hard times and faced with hard decisions. Help me to prioritize studying the Bible so I can know You better. In Your name, amen.