A Word from Luke 4

What would you say is the hardest temptation you wrestle with? Are there physical needs and desires that pull your attention away from where it ought to be? Are there "good things" you've been given that you sometimes treat like they're the "best thing," and thereby make them idols that get in the way of your love for God? Are you tempted by pride, or greed, or an unforgiving spirit?

Well obviously, there are lots of temptations out there. And I suspect that our Enemy is tricky enough to "fine tune" our temptations in a way that tries to take advantage of our particular gifts, and fears, and life situations. 

And yet, we know that in every temptation, God provides a way out so we can endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13) We know that Jesus was tempted just like we are, which allows us to approach God's throne of grace with confidence. (Heb. 4:15-16) And in today's word from Luke Chapter 4, we see how Jesus handled temptation, which hopefully can help us to handle it, too.

You know the story, I'm sure. The Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness, where he got tempted by the devil. And even though Satan cleverly turned the Lord's situation against him ~ by encouraging him to use his power for himself, and to achieve God's ends using the world's means, and to prove his relationship with God by putting God to the test ~ Jesus resisted. (Luke 4:1-13) And how did he do that?

Well, you know the answer. Jesus had hidden God's Word in his heart. And as a result, he had clarity about what it meant to trust and obey his Father. And even though we may never do it perfectly, the Bible says that we can have "the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2:16) We, too, can hide God's Word in our hearts, so that it's there to guide and strengthen us when we need it most.

So my question is: "What are you hiding in your heart today?"

When temptation comes ~ which is will ~ let's be ready, because we've learned the lesson our Savior taught. Amen.