Meeting Temptation

But he answered, It is written ... (Matthew 4:4)

Mt. 4:1-11; Dt. 8:3, 6:16, and 6:13; Jn. 8:44; I Cor. 10:13; Heb. 2:16-18, 4:15; Eph 6:13; I Pet. 5:8

What Is God Saying?

The Gospel of Matthew emphasizes that Jesus came to rule in a kingdom. Note that Matthew is careful to establish that Jesus was (in a human sense) a descendant of the greatest King of Israel, David. It is Luke who traces the human lineage of our Lord back to Adam, but Matthew begins with Abraham and goes directly to David though he is far down the line. Yes, Jesus is the King. The phrase, Kingdom of Heaven, appears only in Matthew. He is, according to Matthew, the King who is our Savior, the true Messiah. Matthew quotes often from the Old Testament for he is addressing Jewish readers to convince them that Jesus was of the royal Jewish line. He was, indeed, the Messiah.

Jesus had power. Power to heal the sick and power to feed the hungry and even power to raise the dead. This was awesome. Would He use that power for Himself and His immediate glory and popularity? Or would He obey God the Father and take the long, painful path that would lead through the Cross to our salvation and resurrection glory? The Temptation of Christ (Matt. 4, Luke 3) has everything to do with obedience to God the Father, trust in God the Father, and confidence in the rightness of the written Scriptures. That is why he repeats the powerful phrase, It is written, quoting three times from Deuteronomy (8:3, 6:16, 13).

How Does This Apply To Us?

Temptations come to all of us many times. Jesus was tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb.4:15). That is why He has compassion on us when we are being tested. He knew the power and the agony of temptation. It is important and interesting to note that the Hebrew passage which tells us, ‘He was tempted in every respect as we are,’ goes immediately to the beautiful verse which states that there is a ‘throne of grace, a throne where we may receive mercy in time of need.’

During our temptations, we may follow His example and repeat during every attack by the Great Deceiver and Father of lies, ‘It is written.’

• It is written-not hidden,

• time-tested, not here today and gone tomorrow,

• reliable as a mountain peak, not sand that shifts with wind and tide on the beach.

‘It is written’ gives us strength and leads to victory in every trial, written for our comfort, written to be our compass, written in words more eternal than the Heavens (Mat. 24:25).

Pray With Me

Dear Lord, it was Your answer. Let it be mine. Thank You, Lord, for this lesson learned from the hour of Your trial. Your Word is my strength when I am confronted by evil. It is my light when I must walk in the shadows. It is my wisdom when I am faced with perplexing decisions. It is my hope when I am plagued with discouragement. It is my nourishment when I am in a spiritual famine. Thank You, Lord, that it is written. My security in trial and my hope for deliverance do not depend on some mystical experience. I do not need to be a victim of passing moods that are as often down as up. I do not have to wander along unmarked paths, wondering, guessing, groping. It is there to be read. It is there to be trusted. It is there to be accepted It is there to be done.

Thank You, Lord, for showing the way. Thank you even more and forevermore for being the Way. Ultimately my hope of salvation to come and my source of joy in the present does not depend on words that were written long ago, as wonderful as they are. Salvation and joy, wholeness and peace, security and hope are mine because of You, the living Word. Thank You, Lord, for the written Word that leads me to the Living Word. Thank You, Lord, for the Living Word who illuminates and gives importance to the written word.

In the name of Him who not only left us a written word but Who is forever the Living Word. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

We have assurance when we kneel to pray. In prayer, we are claiming His promises, "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus"(Ph. 4: 19). "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me" (Ps. 23:4b).

Let us make our list of promises, and in prayer lay hold of them.