Monday, January 21, 2013

Mon.’s Devo - Jesus’ Temptations in a Nutshell

≈ Read Luke 4:13-15 I would like to go back and recap the three temptations because the Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all points that we would be tempted, yet, without sinning. So lets look at these three temptations again. The first temptation had to do with his personal circumstances. He had been fasting for 40 days and was hungry. That would be our personal small situations that trip us daily whether it is frustration over our own humanity, or just the fear of tomorrow and how God will provide. It is the micro temptation. The next temptation had to do with who he was and his ambitions. He was God’s son and he had a mission. Was he going to panic and let the devil help him or was he going to depend on God and just walk out his life in faith, believing that God would perform his purposes through him. We are all born with a desire to do something great on the earth and leave a heritage but God is more interested in us spending our life on him and letting him leave the heritage. The third temptation had to do with his trust and devotion to God. Satan was tempting his relationship with the Lord. We don’t have to do anything to prove we love God. It is not about our godly reputation or position, it is about how dead we can become to ourselves that God can actually use us. We have to be emptied of all self-ambition to truly leave a heritage worth God’s name. When Jesus laid all this down, the devil left him for a season and Jesus returned to Galilee full of God’s spirit. He was ready to have power and fame and it not ruin him. He was invited to speak in the synagogues and God glorified him in the eyes of the people. He had boldness even in his own town which we will read about tomorrow. Lord, we truly want to be emptied of ourselves that you might work your work through us unhindered.

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