Dave's Diary

Prayer

Lord, give me the grace today, to steadfastly guard my heart against all influences but Yours, to diligently fill my mind with Your Word, to bravely make my every decision on the basis of Your Word, and to lovingly align my every action with the Spirit of Your Word. Please pour into me the Life-giving nourishment of Your Word and Spirit, so that my life may be pleasing to You and fruitful in Your service. Amen! (based on Psalm 1)

Reading

Matthew 4:1-11

In this passage, Jesus taught us by example as He overcame the temptations of the devil.

The temptations He faced were essentially all related to the issue of loving God with all His heart, mind, soul and strength:

(a) He faced the temptation to make life-decisions based on His physical desires and needs (v.3-4). But Jesus refused to put love of self above love for God and He chose instead to make His decisions based on God’s Word and for God’s pleasure. He was committed to living His life fully surrendered to the Father’s revealed will. Like Jesus did, faithful disciples allow the Word of God to shape our lives and decisions, not our physical desires or sense of physical need.

(b) He faced the temptation to use God the Father to pridefully attract attention to Himself and put Himself at the centre (v.5-7) But Jesus refused to put love of self above love for God. He chose instead to honour the Father and to humbly submit to the Father’s will and to the timing of the Father’s plan. Like Jesus did, faithful disciples refuse to put ourselves at the centre. We trust the Lord and His timing.

(c) He faced the temptation we all face every day – the temptation to take the easy way out (v.8-10). The Father’s plan was for Jesus to become King through the cross and resurrection. Satan offered Him an easy shortcut – “Hey Jesus, just worship me and we can forget this crucifixion story. I’ll just make you king, easy-peasy, if you bow down and worship me“. But Jesus refused to put love of self above love for God, and He chose to love, worship and obey the Father – even when the Father’s Way was the tough one of self-sacrificial love. Like Jesus did, faithful disciples love, worship and obey the Father, even when that means taking the more difficult path.

One final word. Let’s remember that throughout His forty days of testing, Jesus was sustained by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit (v.1) and the beautiful affirmation that He was the Beloved Son of God (Matthew 3:16-17). We are also infinitely loved by God, and we too have received the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us. We don’t follow Jesus on our own steam. We follow in the power of the Spirit.

Contemplation

Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn one or more of these declarations of commitment over and over in your mind. Keep them in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.

• Today I will allow the Word of God to shape my life and decisions.
• Today I will trust the Lord and His timing and not try to force things.
• Today I will take the difficult path if that is what loving, worshiping and obeying the Father requires.
• Today I will trust the power of the Holy Spirit in me.

Perhaps a situation has come to mind as you’ve been reading and reflecting. Don’t get up from this time of devotion without offering that situation to the Lord in prayer and entrusting yourself to His guidance and empowering.