And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Luke 4:9-12
One of the first things I need to know about my enemy is that he will regroup. If he doesn’t succeed after several tries to corrupt my trust in God, he will keep at it by looking for a more effective way to persuade me.
Satan came at Jesus with pretty clever ideas in the first two temptations. Jesus stood firm. But in the third temptation, Satan went for the jugular by quoting scripture. Jesus saw through the ruse and stood firm again by re-framing the scripture Satan used with another scripture.
One can prove almost anything with a bible verse if it is isolated it from its context and from the total revelation of God’s Word. Cults are formed on partial, misrepresented scriptures. Picking and choosing verses at whim and calling them ‘words from God’ is not living by faith. That’s not to say that God doesn’t, out of the clear blue, give us a verse. He does. But if this comprises my way of life to form my spiritual compass, I need to be careful.
Jesus balanced Satan’s use of scripture with another scripture. He did this while standing on holy ground – at the highest pinnacle of the holy temple. Yes, Satan is not above treading into churches and small groups to mis-quote the Word. He’ll invade my devotional time; he’ll even invade my prayer life. By taking God’s Word out of context, he’ll try to convince me of sin when I’m really under God’s favor. He’ll convince me that I’m about to be disciplined when I’m on the verge of being blessed. He’ll remind me of some Old Testament story when God judged severely if my view of God is more harsh than loving. He loves imbalance!
I can’t afford not to know my Bible. The reason Jesus was so skilled in wielding scriptures was because He spent his first thirty years in disciplined study. There was no shortcut for Him (even though He had the advantage of knowing His Father) and there is no shortcut for me. How can I tell if what I’m hearing is God’s Word or a false word? I have to look at the end result. Am I encouraged to compromise or stay faithful? Am I drawn toward God or away from God? Am I fearful or more trusting? Am I repelled or more worshipful? Satan’s agenda is always to create a breach in the relationship between God and His child. If I keep that in mind, I can usually perceive whether there’s a snake in the grass.
Your Spirit inside of me knows what’s up when Satan tries to plant a bad seed. Lord, cause his words to be instantly revolting to me. Amen
What if there were a new book released entitled, ‘One Thousand New Discoveries on the Person of Jesus?’ It would be a worldwide best seller. But for what reason would it fly off the shelves? I’m convinced that many unbelievers would buy it for pure historic value. Jesus is the most influential person ever to have lived. But many believers would purchase it so that they could learn interesting tidbits to share at their next Bible Study. Sadly, they comprise the disciples who thrive at being reporters.
Nancy is the one who suggested a makeover. I’d never thought of it. Imagine my excitement when I discovered I could strip the chandelier down to the frame and replace all the parts. I was even able to buy a lot of lead crystals for almost no money from a lighting store that posted a small palette of crystals on eBay. So here’s the thing. When stripped bare, the frame turned out to be a real antique and quite stunning. Then, everything I added to it just made it more beautiful. By the time I began to add the crystals, I was almost speechless as I saw my chandelier come to life. The crystals even glistened in the moonlight that shone through the window. It’s the most fun I’ve had creating something in a long time.
David asks for God’s help in today’s scripture. He petitions for spiritual understanding of the scriptures so that he will be able to meditate in a heartfelt way. Understanding precedes meditation. Truth must always be a heart thing!
Do you know someone who expresses no remorse? They are simply unable to recognize what their sin against another causes. Many wives and husbands are cruel to each other. Hurtful things are said and treacherous things are done. When the one who feels betrayed speaks up, backs up, and expresses pain, remorse is absent. But when the pain of consequences is felt, a token “Sorry!” is expressed. There is an expectation that everything should be back to normal. He, or she, fails to know the repercussions of his actions.
Lord, forgive us for looking to broken cisterns for living water. As your children, we may live wanting, groaning for your kingdom to come, but we will not be crippled by uncertainty. We will not succumb to the anxiety of second guessing our future. Our leaders disappoint us but You rule perfectly. Our joy and confidence is in Your Kingship. Each of us pray this out loud today until our whole beings believe it.
The ambassador leaves. He makes his home in China, or Pakistan, or Kenya. He does not look like anyone else nor truly live like anyone else there. He abides by the laws of his new country but he is not a citizen. He promotes and executes the policies of his country back home. He speaks on behalf of the president, on behalf of the government, knowing that as he exerts his rule, his leaders back home back him up. As long as he acts in accordance with his country’s principles, he is protected.
I remember when Jesus’ identity was questioned. He claimed that God was his Father. The religious leaders were indignant, calling him a liar. If Jesus had not been perfect, He could have easily risen up to defend himself the way we often do. “How dare you question my word! I told you that God was my Father and I am His Son. You apparently have no idea who you’re talking to!” Anyone other than Jesus would have been tempted to stand in the pride of his celebrity status. This temptation would have bitten most children of men.
