Time in the Scriptures
Pray: Ask God for insight into your own temptations.
As we enter Lent, we recall the story of Jesus’ forty day fast at the beginning of his ministry.
Read: Luke 4:1-13
“He was famished.” (verse 2) In a long term fast, the body goes into a kind of hibernation and hunger disappears for a couple of weeks or more. When it returns, the body needs to eat. Satan asks Jesus to deny his humanity, to overturn natural laws in order to sate his hunger. What is Jesus’ response? In what ways are you tempted to provide for your physical desires and needs at any cost, without regard to the ways of the earth or the needs of others? Is it possible to expend too much power on one human life?
The New Testament consistently teaches that the devil has power over this present world. The devil offers this power back to Jesus, if only Christ will worship him. What is Jesus’ response? What kind of power has the devil (or anyone or anything other than God) offered you, in exchange for coming first in your time, money, or thoughts?
Satan offers Jesus “instant glory.” Why not put yourself in a precarious position, and let God show how important you are? What is Jesus’ response? Are there ways you “test” God to see if he’ll really keep his promises?
All of Jesus’ responses come from Deuteronomy; see if you can find them (they should sound very familiar if you’ve been following the blog this week).
Intercessory Prayer
Spend time in prayer for the following activities and people:
- People going through severe temptation.
- Those who are famished.
Caring through Action
Look for an opportunity to provide basic food, power, or attention to someone in need; this is one way to decrease unnecessary temptations in this world.