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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I Won't Play Your Game
Then the devil led Jesus to the holy city (Jerusalem). The
devil put Jesus on a very high place on the temple. The devil
said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off. Why? Because it
is written {in the Scriptures}, 'God will command his angels
for you, and their hands will catch you, so that you will not
hit your foot on a rock.'" Jesus answered him, "It also says
{in the Scriptures}, 'You must not test (doubt) the Lord your
God.'"
-- Matthew 4:5-7 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Is Jesus really sure God is with him? Is he truly Immanuel, "God with
us"? One sure place to know and to show this was the Temple. Throughout
the Old Testament, the Tabernacle and later the Temple represented
God's presence and protection for his people. Once again, Satan tempts
Jesus like he tempted the Israelites -- to make God's protection and
care the condition on which loyalty was to be established. Jesus would
not play Satan's game! Jesus was committed to honor his Father and to
be faithful to him even if it meant the path of suffering and death.
The reason these early temptations of Jesus are so important is that
they reveal that Jesus will not chose ANY shortcut to obedience!
Whether Satan realizes it or not, when Jesus walks out of the desert
victorious over him and his temptations, Jesus has demonstrated that
Satan's doom is assured. Jesus will choose God's plan even if it means
suffering, death, and personal ridicule on a cross. What is the cost of
my following God? Will I choose faithfulness over ... ?
TODAY'S PRAYER:
Almighty Deliverer and Faithful God, in light of your centuries of
faithfulness to your people, your preservation of them in the face of
great calamity and struggle, I recognize my inconsistency and weakness.
Give me a heart to recognize the long-term consequences of my decisions
about Satan's "small" challenges. Please empower me to choose
faithfulness. I believe you are my Rock and my Salvation, so I rest my
hope in you. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
>> NEW: Phil's What Jesus Did devotional is now
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>> The WJD! web page has related scriptures and the
>> full text of today's key passage. Read it at:
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/matthew/0127-wjd.html
>> For further study of today's passage, use our
>> online Bible study site: SearchGodsWord.org!
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Matthew+4:5-7&sr=1&t=erv
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