Happy Tuesday! Today is November 19, 2024. We’ve all heard about the three temptations of Jesus, but what we may not realize is this: those are only the ones that were recorded. Luke’s Gospel tells us, “When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). Here’s a temptation we often fall prey to. Read on...
Today's Reading:
Matthew 1,2,3,4
Scripture
“… the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matthew 4:8-9)
Observation
The original verse reads: The devil offered Him all “authority” and “glory.” That is often where mankind shows weakness.
We crave control and want the assurance that everything will go our way. We desire a good reputation, where everyone speaks well of us, regardless of our behavior or decisions. We want to look good—even if it requires an app to slim us down and refine our appearance. We want followers!
It’s the third temptation.
Application
The devil will not appear in a red spandex suit with yoga pants and horns. He will appear as your deepest and most secret desires. He will take the form of the unspoken passions we entertain in our minds—the ones we can’t mention but that drive us nonetheless.
If we don’t examine ourselves to ensure our deepest desires are pure, the enemy will have us in his crosshairs, waiting for that opportune moment.
Prayer
Father, I pray, along with David in Psalm 139, that You would: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
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