I found myself drawn to the opening verses.
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread" (1-3).
Jesus, a Spirit-filled man, is led by the Spirit into the desert. That shouldn’t be. Right? Aren’t we supposed to have cushy lives if we are following God faithfully? This text and many others say, ‘No’. It may be a staple teaching by many a TV and Internet preacher but it isn’t Biblical. If the Spirit will lead Jesus into the desert, He may just do the same for us!
In the desert Jesus fasts for 40-days. Oh my! I have never done that. I may fast once in a while (fasting is certainly not a regular pattern of my life in Christ), but I have never gotten close to 40 days.
Then there is that slimy devil, the enemy of God and God’s people. What does he do? He slithers up to Jesus at His weakest point and attacks. 40 days of fasting, Luke records; at the end of them he was hungry. Duh! Who wouldn’t be hungry after 40 foodless days? I suspect that God inspired Luke to put in this obvious fact so that we couldn’t over spiritualize the story and make Jesus into some super-savior who fasts for 40-days but doesn’t get hungry.
When Jesus is at His lowest what does the devil do? He pounces on the weakest link! "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." What a low blow. But if I were trying to bait an opponent, this is the perfect play. Hit’em where he is weakest.
Thoughts rolled in my head. The devil is still like that. He will attack any of us at our weakest, most vulnerable point.
A warning flashed in my head. Keep up your guard. Beware, God’s enemy is looking to pounce. Stay close to the Lord. Admit to Jesus your weaknesses that He might protect you.
Back to the story, Jesus was not lured into sin. Despite human weakness, He must have drawn on His connection with the Father and the Spirit’s anointing. He fought back and over came through God’s Word.
I thought of Paul’s words, when I am weak then I am strong (2Corinthians 12:10). When we are at the end of our human strength and we are at our weakest, God by His Spirit can and will strengthen us if we turn to Him.
When we rely on God to overcome the enemy, God gets the glory.
Lord, You took me on an interesting journey today. Thank You for opening my eyes to Your Word today. Thank You for the warning about the devil and for the reminder that in Christ and filled by Your Spirit I (we) can overcome the evil one. Hallelujah.
Lord God, all glory and honor to you!!! I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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