57.

A Tempting Offer Then Jesus was led (guided) by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness (desert) to be tempted (tested and tried) by the devil. And He went without food for forty days and forty nights, and later He was hungry.

-MATTHEW 4:1-2 After Jesus had gone through a forty-day fast, Satan approached Him with three tempting offers. The devil came to Jesus when he was weak and hungry. It's natural to a.s.sume that the Lord was physically weakened after being without nourishment for such an extended period of time, so, of course, the devil's first offer involved food. "If You are G.o.d's Son, command these stones to be made [loaves of] bread" (v. 3).

Later Jesus performed several miracles that included food, such as changing a boy's lunch into enough fish and bread to feed five thousand people and, at another time, to feed four thousand. All of Jesus' miracles were for the good of others. He never performed miracles for Himself or to satisfy any need of His own. That's one major lesson we learn from His temptation.

The devil then took Jesus to a mountaintop and showed Him the nations of the earth. He said, in effect, "You can have it all in exchange for one slight, easily excusable act. Wors.h.i.+p me-just once-and You can have it all." I can even imagine the devil saying, "It's all right; G.o.d will understand. You're so weak right now."

It was as if Satan said, "You're going to rule it all anyway. This is just a shortcut." He implied that through one simple act of wors.h.i.+p, Jesus could avoid the rejection, the suffering, and even the horrifying death on the cross. And either way, He would achieve the same goal.

As attractive as the offer may have sounded, Jesus turned it down. He recognized the deliberately crafted lie, and Jesus never hesitated. The world would be won for G.o.d, but it would be won by the way of sacrifice and obedience. The way of the cross would be Jesus' pathway to victory.

Again, Jesus teaches us that His is not the easy way. Instead, we must take the right way. Whenever the devil tries to convince us there is an easier way-one that will make life better for us-we know we don't want to listen.

As we read the story, the choice seems obvious. But suppose you had been in that wilderness for forty days and nights without food and water. Suppose you had faced such great temptations. Suppose the devil had whispered in your ear, "Just this one time and no one will know."

This is one of the enemy's most subtle lies. Not only does he tempt you to give in and to receive the things you'd like to have, but he also makes it sound simple and easy: "Just do this one thing, and it's all yours."

G.o.d never works that way. He wants you to have the best and only the best, but it has to come in the right way.

At the end of the temptation accounts, Matthew inserts a powerful statement. With each temptation, Jesus won because he relied on the Word of G.o.d for His strength. And the devil couldn't fight the Word. Finally, Matthew records, "Then the devil departed from Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him" (v. 11).

The wisdom to be gleaned from this experience is powerful. Even after you've been battered and tempted, G.o.d doesn't leave you. He remains with you to comfort you, to minister to your needs, and to encourage you. Never forget that He is as close to you as the mention of His name. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Blessed Lord Jesus, thank You for winning the victory over the devil. Thank You for not listening to Satan and for standing on the Word of G.o.d in the midst of every temptation. Lord, in Your name, I pray for the wisdom and the strength to defeat the same enemy when he tempts me. Amen

58.

The Disobedience of Unbelief And Elisha said to him, Take bow and arrows. And he took bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put your hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it, and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands. And he said, Open the window to the east. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The Lord's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria. For you shall smite the Syrians in Aphek till you have destroyed them. Then he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Strike on the ground. And he struck three times and stopped. And the man of G.o.d was angry with him and said, You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had destroyed it. But now you shall strike Syria down only three times.

-2 KINGS 13:15-19 It's easy to say, "I believe," but the true test comes when we have to act on what we believe. In this story, the king came to Elisha the prophet to seek his help in obtaining deliverance from the Syrians. The prophet told him to strike arrows on the ground as a symbol of Israel's attacks against their enemy, but the king stopped after shooting only three arrows onto the ground.

Unbelief is disobedience. Period. Had the king believed, he would have struck arrows on the ground many times. Because of his unbelief, he stopped before he'd even gotten a good start. It is not surprising that Elisha became frustrated and angry with him.

Incidents of unbelief are recorded throughout the Old and New Testaments. Unbelief seems to be at work in nearly every direction we turn. Matthew 17:14-20 records the story of a man who brought his epileptic son to Jesus for healing. He said, "And I brought him to Your disciples, and they were not able to cure him" (v. 16).

This boy's father was hurt and disappointed in the disciples' lack of ability to emulate their Leader. We might have agreed with him had we been in his place that day. After all, Jesus had been traveling with these twelve men for several months. They had repeatedly observed as He performed miracles wherever they went. In Luke 10, we learn that Jesus sent out other followers, and they performed a number of miracles and healings. Why couldn't the disciples do them in this instance? Jesus had constantly encouraged them to heal the sick and do the things that He did.

Yet they were unable to heal the boy, and Jesus said: "O you unbelieving (warped, wayward, rebellious) and thoroughly perverse generation! How long am I to remain with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to Me" (v. 17). Jesus cast out the demon, and the boy was cured. Unbelief leads to disobedience.

But here's the end of the story. When the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn't heal the boy, Jesus' answer was clear: "Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust] . . ." (v. 20).

I feel sure that Jesus' answer caused the disciples to examine their hearts and to ask what held them back. Why didn't they believe? Perhaps they had allowed negative thinking to enter their minds. Perhaps they weren't able to grasp the fact that Jesus wanted to use them and empower them to perform miracles.

Of course, we know from reading the book of Acts that once they were filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples demonstrated G.o.d's supernatural power at work-but not in this story. He said to them, "I a.s.sure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father" (John 14:12).

The promise remains valid to this day. Unbelief will keep us from doing what G.o.d has called and anointed us to accomplish in life. It will also hinder us from experiencing the sense of peace He wants us to enjoy as we find rest for our souls in Him (see Matthew 11:28,29 KJV).

When G.o.d tells us we can do something, we must believe that we can. It is not by our power or our might that we are able to do what He tells us to, but by His Spirit working on the inside of us that we win in the battle of unbelief.

Lord Jesus, forgive my lack of faith. I know that when I don't believe, I am disobeying You. In Your name, I ask You to help me push away every bit of unbelief so that I may focus on faithfully following You. Amen.

59.

A Sabbath Rest For he who has once entered [G.o.d's] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as G.o.d rested from those labors peculiarly His own. Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of G.o.d, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].

-HEBREWS 4:10-11 Under the Old Covenant, the Lord required the people of Israel to observe the Sabbath every week. They were to do no work from sundown Friday until sundown Sat.u.r.day. It was a symbol to them of rest. Throughout the Old Testament, G.o.d says that He created the world in six days and ceased from His labors on the seventh.

The writer of the book of Hebrews used the idea of Sabbath as a way of talking about a rest that is available to G.o.d's people. In chapter 3, he wrote about Israel's unbelief and quoted from Psalm 95:11: "Accordingly, I swore in My wrath and indignation, They shall not enter into My rest. [Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living G.o.d" (Hebrews 3:11-12).

The book of Hebrews makes it clear that although the Israel of old saw G.o.d at work every day in their lives and enjoyed the divine provision of manna and water and every other need they had, they still did not believe. The Israelites could not enter into that rest-that Sabbath.

Hebrews four makes it clear that the Sabbath rest-the peace of G.o.d-is still available to all believers. It is the privilege of every believer to refuse to worry or have anxiety. As believers, we can enter the rest of G.o.d. The promise is unchanged. The danger is that we may fail to reach it because of disobedience and unbelief.

The writer uses the word rest to mean more than just not working. It also implies setting aside those things that trouble our minds. In other words, to enter the Sabbath rest, we must not allow anything to prevent us from fully enjoying G.o.d's peace.

Isn't it interesting that although the Israelites regularly read the Ten Commandments and felt that they followed the Law, either they didn't get what G.o.d was saying or-more likely-they didn't believe it. G.o.d commanded them not to work, but it wasn't just that He wanted them to take some time off. He was instructing them to do something far more important-to cease the daily routine of their busy lives and spend the Sabbath resting and reflecting on His abundant provision.

I know some people-and I'm sure you do, as well-who work every day of the year. They seem almost afraid to let up, as if they might lose momentum or money or not have enough to provide for their needs. Some people take on two or three side jobs for extra income, even though they don't really need the money. It's as though they think some measure of peace and happiness will come if they have acc.u.mulated enough "things" in life.

Sooner or later, they will find that peace doesn't come that way. The Sabbath rest is G.o.d's way of saying, "I'm in charge. I'll take care of you if you'll trust Me."

And how do we trust G.o.d? One way is to begin to understand the importance of setting aside time to let our minds get quiet enough to recognize that G.o.d is truly with us. We don't need to worry or be anxious about paying our bills or having enough food to eat. As long as we worry and fret about those things, we aren't living in the Sabbath rest of G.o.d.

I am not suggesting that people quit their jobs and just sit around reflecting on the goodness of G.o.d. I believe we are to work hard and do our best at whatever G.o.d has given us to do. But ultimately, it is G.o.d's love, His peace, and His provision that will see us through. The devil will whisper that it depends on us and we have to do it all. But once we have entered into the Sabbath rest, we know that G.o.d is the One who provides, and we can truly rest and enjoy our lives.

O Holy One of Israel, forgive me. Too often, I worry or fret about not having enough. You are my G.o.d. You will always a.s.sure me that my needs are taken care of. My concern is to enter into Your Sabbath rest and take pleasure in Your presence. In the name of Jesus Christ, enable me to live in that Sabbath rest. Amen.

60.

From Faith to Faith For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is G.o.d's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance. . . . For in the Gospel, a righteousness that G.o.d ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.

-ROMANS 1:16-17 Faith is a word the apostle Paul used often in his writing. When writing to the Thessalonians, he wanted to know about their faith. While the word faith means belief or absolute trust, it's more than that-the word also implies loyalty and commitment.

Faith means being convinced that something is true. In 1 Corinthians 15:17, the apostle told the Corinthians that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, their faith was meaningless. He was saying that all they believed was utterly useless. True faith acknowledges that the message of Jesus' death and resurrection is true.

True faith begins when we're receptive-when we're willing to listen. It starts with a kind of mental a.s.sent-it seems reasonable that it's true. But that's not true faith. True faith happens when we say, "Not only does it make sense to me, but I'm willing to stake my life on it."

Paul quoted from Habakkuk 2:4, saying that the just-the righteous-shall live by faith. One way to think of the just is to think of those who were "justified," or made right, by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. If we are justified, it means that G.o.d treats us as though we are not and have never been sinners. He treats us as His own-His beloved children. Instead of being G.o.d's enemies, we're His friends. Instead of fighting Him, we serve Him.

When G.o.d calls us just, or righteous, we enter into a relations.h.i.+p of love, confidence, and friends.h.i.+p. We need not fear or worry because there is no punishment for us.

When Paul says the one "who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith," he means that those of us who have been made right with G.o.d live by our faith. That is, we live by our trust in the G.o.d who reaches out to us.

This is where many must fight the wiles of Satan. Instead of focusing on all G.o.d has done for us, they listen to the devil whisper, "Do you remember when you lost your temper?" "You're worried about paying your bills, and if you worry, you don't have faith, right?" "If you're supposed to be a Christian, how could you have said what you did?"

The torments are there, and the devil never pa.s.ses up the opportunity to remind us of past failures. All have failed, and we will continue to fail, but when we do, we can repent and move on.

I went through a particularly difficult time several years ago when there was absolutely no joy or peace in my life. Unhappiness filled most of my days. I repeatedly asked the Lord what was wrong with me, really wanting to know what my problem was . . . no kidding around. I was working so hard to please the Lord and trying to be the kind of Christian I thought I should be, but I certainly didn't feel like any progress was being made.

Then one day, I came across Romans 15:13 in a box of scripture cards: "May the G.o.d of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." That was it! I got it!

I had plunged into doubt and unbelief, allowing the devil to torment me with his evil lies. As a result, I had become negative, grouchy, short-tempered, and impatient. I was making myself miserable, and the devil was thrilled at the stronghold he had over me!

This scripture changed all of that old thinking! I knew the answer. Jesus loved me so much that He not only forgave all my sins of the past, but He also looked ahead and forgave me for those moments of weakness when I'd fail in the future. I'm not referring to deliberate sin, but to human weaknesses, those times when I just don't live up to all the truth I know.

"Just think," I told my husband, "two thousand years ago Jesus not only died on the cross for all my sins before I even knew Him, but for all of my sins and failures until the day I meet Him face to face." That was such a powerful thought to me.

Then I pondered the words of Paul quoted at the beginning of this meditation: "For in the gospel, a righteousness which G.o.d ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]." I finally understood the concept of living from faith to faith. I don't have to allow Satan to sneak in with questions or unbelief. I can live every moment moving from faith to more faith to more faith.

Lord Jesus Christ, I am in awe of Your love for me, which is so great and so powerful that You not only died for all my sins before I was born, but You've provided for all my weak moments in the future. I am so thankful to You for Your love, and I rejoice in Your holy name. Amen.

61.

Don't Let the Devil Steal It For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property. . . . He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.

-MATTHEW 25:14; 24-25 Jesus often gave people ill.u.s.trations containing life lessons that could be applied to common situations in which most anyone can find themselves at any given time. The Parable of the Talents is such an ill.u.s.tration. A talent was the type of currency used in Jesus' day. One talent is said to have been worth more than a thousand dollars. This particular parable describes a man who gave certain amounts of money to three of his servants with the instruction to invest it.

I find two very interesting points in this story. First, the landowner distributed the money according to each person's ability. He didn't try to burden his workers with more than they were capable of handling. The two men to whom he gave the most money invested wisely and doubled their investments. Upon the landowner's return, they were made full partners in the business. The second thing I realized is that the two with the most ability used it wisely and were richly rewarded. The third man-the one with the least ability-failed.

Think about this. G.o.d didn't ask the third man to invest five talents or even three. He knew this man wasn't capable of handling such a task. He gave the third servant the least amount of responsibility, and that man still failed. Worse, he tried to justify his failure by blaming the master! But he also said something else-and that's the secret to understanding this story: "I was afraid and hid your talent in the ground" (see v. 25).

He didn't lose the money, but he did nothing with it. And the master responded, "You wicked and lazy and idle servant!" (v. 26). The spirit of fear had caused the man to do nothing.

Let's turn that around. The owner said, "Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest" (v. 27). Suppose the man had gone to the bank and invested as the owner suggested. He would never have made as much profit as the other two. And that would have been all right, because all that the owner asked was for him to do what he could-what was reasonably expected of him.

That's one way the devil snares us. He causes us to compare ourselves with others and see how much money or talents they have. Or he tells us other people are given more opportunities than we will ever have. But G.o.d doesn't ask us to do what someone else does. He asks us to use the gifts and abilities that He has given to us.

I truly believe that G.o.d has a plan for each of our lives. A life lived in faith and obedience to G.o.d's Word causes His plan to unfold before our eyes. Clutching what little we have in fear won't allow us to fulfill G.o.d's plan. In fact, this kind of mindset allows the devil to lie to us and cause us to give up on our dreams and G.o.d's plan for our lives.

Fear only supplies the characteristics of the idle, lazy, and wicked servant. When we listen to the devil, we soon believe we can do nothing. He'll convince us that everything we attempt will fail. If we listen to G.o.d, we will hear the words of the Lord: "Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys" (v. 21). It is not how much we accomplish that is important, but it's being faithful to the ability G.o.d has given us that makes the difference.

Loving and caring Father, I don't know which of those three men I'm the most like in terms of my ability. But I pray that You will make me faithful to fulfill Your plan for my life. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, I thank You for helping me. Thank You, Lord, for helping me keep the enemy from stealing the little or the much You have given me. Amen.

62.

Anxious Minds Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

-MATTHEW 6:31-33 The word worry is defined as a feeling of uneasiness or a troubled, anxious, distressed, and concerned mind. Another definition I have heard for worry is "to torment oneself with disturbing thoughts." When I heard the last definition, I immediately decided that I am smart enough to know better than to sit around tormenting myself! I believe the enemy uses worry and anxiety to distract us from the call of G.o.d on our lives.

Sadly, far too many people may actually be addicted to worrying. I have a friend who worries beyond all reason. He admits that his mother taught him to worry. He doesn't remember a time in his entire life when his mother wasn't worried about something that had happened, was happening, or was about to happen. I have to admit that I was once just like this. If I didn't have something to worry about, I worried about someone else's problems.

I didn't know what it meant to live in peace. I am convinced that it is absolutely impossible to worry and to live in peace at the same time. Yet I often see people trying to do both.

They've gotten so used to worrying that they apply this condition to almost every function of their lives. For some people, it can be something as simple as fretting over getting to a meeting on time. For others, it can mean being nervous about meeting someone for the first time or the discomfort of going for a job interview. I hear the word worry used all the time.

What if we were to use the word torment? If we think of worry as satanic torment or mental torture, we get closer to the biblical idea. Think of agony and suffering as part of torment. Isn't that exactly how Satan works? Of course, he works at not letting us identify him as the source. It's easier for him to torment us if we blame our neighbors, children, parents, or coworkers. "If they would just leave me alone and give me peace," we say. As long as we see the agitation coming from someone else or a situation we can't do anything about, we live in torment. That's when the devil preys on us and makes it even worse.

The apostle John wrote about love, saying that if we truly love one another, G.o.d abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. But notice this: "And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love G.o.d cherishes for us. G.o.d is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in G.o.d, and G.o.d dwells and continues in him. . . . There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]" (1 John 4:16, 18).

These are all strong words, and I'm quoting them for a reason. If the devil can convince you that worry is a small thing, you don't take it too seriously. "Oh, everybody worries a little," you say, brus.h.i.+ng it off.

No, not everyone worries. Worry is a tool of the devil, so it's not something that you, as a Christian, need to tolerate. Worry is nothing but a satanic attack on your mind. It does not accomplish any good thing.

More often than not, there is nothing you can do about the things that concern you. They're beyond your control. You can worry about your future or your children's marriages or whether your company will close and lay you off. But there's nothing you can do in the natural about these things. It is a far better plan to spend the time and energy you would spend worrying on reminding yourself of G.o.d's promise: "You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind . . . is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You" (Isaiah 26:3).

A faith-filled missionary family in Africa dealt with the issue of worry in a very creative way. Whenever anyone started to worry about anything, the parents and their three children would go to the front door and each of them would make a strong kicking movement and say aloud, "Devil, get out of our house. We belong to G.o.d, and we don't have to let you come inside." I like that. Use the authority over the enemy that G.o.d gave you. Start today!

Holy G.o.d, please forgive me for allowing the devil to torment me in any way-and especially for tolerating his tricks in small worries and anxieties. In the name of Jesus, I ask You to enable me to kick him and his tricks out of my life. Amen.