Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Lord God, in the days of His flesh, when Jesus had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to You who were able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. I do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with my weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as I am, yet without sin. No temptation has overtaken me except such as is common to man; but You, Lord God, are faithful, who will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I am able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that I may be able to bear it. Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your strength is made perfect in weakness. When I face temptation, Lord God, prompt me to remember Your all-sufficient grace and turn to You for strength.
MATTHEW 4:1; HEBREWS 5:7–9; HEBREWS 4:15; 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9
Dr.. David Jeremiah Life-Changing Moments with God
Several things cross my mind after both waking up too early and after reading all that I did this morning. One is to do with the realities of life versus what those in this world want to convince us that life is about. The other is in this prayer we just read, on temptations.
When, in their rage, the media exclaims that it's their job to tell us what to think, we ought to take note of that and wonder why.
When we face situations we ought to take note of how we are about to react. Some of the worst physical and verbal tragedies are followed up with "I don't know what happened! I wasn't thinking straight!".
This world would have you believe a great many things that are not true.
As a quote that I often consider says “A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right, and evil doesn't become good, just because it's accepted by a majority." Attributed to Booker T. Washington.
Our world does what is right in their own eyes. Just as the Bible says that mankind would do. Twisting and perverting the truth and order of things that God established at the creation of all things.
Satan wants people to live off their emotions. Wants people to live for the moment, with wreckless abandon. No consideration of the consequences of their actions. No consideration of the potential condemnation to come.
Millions of people each day pour into Hell. Millions. People who believed Satan's lies. People who, in an instant, are not here and in the next are in untold anguish in Hell. To proclaim God's truth, to warn people of the sins that they embrace, these days can get you thrown in jail or worse. That is part of what the Bible says about counting the cost.
Success in this world can do so much damage to a soul. It slowly shreds it for some and they never see it coming. The inevitable crash. Success in the world's eyes isn't success in God's.
We face temptation and situations designed to sidetrack us. Designed to stall our forward progress in growing in Christ Jesus. Designed to get us to shut up about warning people of the wrath to come.
Motivational speakers abound these days but what they mostly are not talking about is the great need to hear the message from Jesus. The only message that ought to motivate is that Christ is coming soon. To die in your sins means eternal separation from God. Means eternity in painful torment. Who cares about gaining the world if it costs you your soul? Isn't that what Jesus Himself said? Honestly there are extremely physically fit corpses in millions of caskets around this world. Spending all your time on your body while neglecting your soul gains you nothing in the eyes of God. Spending your time going after the next big deal and neglecting your soul gains you nothing in the eyes of God. Spending all your time on the pleasures of this world gains you nothing in the eyes of God.
I have used this illustration before. Think about the aftermath of the sinking of the Titanic. The eerie quiet over the water where thousands were dying and a lone crewmembers calls out trying to save anyone they can. Nobody was answering. It was too late.
We face challenges of choosing to live for ourselves or for what Jesus wants to do in our lives. Choice came from the cross of Christ Jesus. Choosing to obey or not to. Choosing judgment and the wrath of God vs the unmeritted favor He offers through salvation in Christ Jesus.
We face choices to turn to the right or the left. Choices to just go on forward or stand still.
In Psalms 23 we read of His leading us through places. Through, as in not residing in, places.
We may or may not be unscathed by going through things in this life.
The promise of not going through it alone is always there from Jesus.
The temptation to believe we are alone is going to be right there too.
We who are in Christ have a lifeline. Those who are believers who depart this world instantly find themselves in the presence of Jesus Christ. No judgment awaits those who are in Christ Jesus.
We face a lot in this life, but we also are charged with a lot, to obey God and to grow in Christ.
To live lives that show Christ to a dying world, not lives that don't show them that Hell awaits those who reject Jesus.
As one meme has said there's a road to Heaven and a highway to Hell. It shows the anticipated traffic numbers.
We face temptations of all sorts and kinds. We who are in Christ have a mediator who understands and has sent us the Holy Spirit to teach and help us through such things.
Prayer to us should be as drawing a breath. As the question had been asked of Spurgeon, what's more important, Bible reading or prayer, his reply was "What's more important, breathing in or breathing out?".
Choose this day whom you are going to serve. Yourself or Christ Jesus.
Whom you choose is what determines what you will face today.
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