Scripture:
"Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert to be
tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights he was hungry.
The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these
stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread
alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the
highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said,
"throw yourself down. For it is written: 'He will command his angels
concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not
strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord
your God to the test.'"
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world in their splendor. "All this I will give to
you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written:
'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended to him."
Matthew
4:1-11 NIV
The story of Jesus' temptation in the desert is a story that I've
heard ever since I was little. Despite having heard it so many times, it's
still one of my favorite passages of scripture. It's also the perfect story for
Lent.
Every time Jesus was tempted, he used Scripture to defend himself.
When he was told to make stones into bread, Jesus said, "Man does not live
on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." When
told to throw himself off a building to prove God would protect him, Jesus
said,"Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Even when Satan
promised Jesus every kingdom on Earth if he would worship him, Jesus told him
to go away, that he would only worship God.
The world we live in has lots of ways to tell us how we should live
our lives. The TV shows you watch, the magazines you read, and even the people
you talk to can give you ideas that go against God's word. I am often so caught
up in trying to be like how the world says to be, it's terrifyingly easy
for me to forget about what God wants me to be. But when I turn to His words,
it becomes remarkably easy to clear my head if the temptations and focus on God.
This season, don't let the temptation into your heart. Let God's
words show you the way.
-Katie Brinkley
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