“If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.” Matthew 4:3
How often do you converse with Jesus the same way Satan did in the verse above? If You are the Son of God, then why did You allow this to happen? If You are the Son of God then please just grant me this, or help me with that, or do this or that.
There is one problem with that-actually a HUGE problem with that. One, if you are questioning whether or not Jesus is the Son of God that shows you to be of little faith. Two, if you try to bargain or ask for self-pleasing reasons then you are asking with the motives of self and not Spirit led motives.
Throughout my prayer life, I have asked the Lord for things that are so self-pleasing, but have tried to turn it around, re-word it to be what would be pleasing to Him. Big mistake, BIG, BIG mistake! Why, because He so quickly and yes lovingly reminds me of my true motives. It hurts, stinks, and for me, it is so upsetting that I would try to fool the Creator. What was I thinking?
Just as Satan did to Jesus, he does the same thing to you and me. He turns our physical wants and needs around to be our main focus. He knew Jesus was and is the Son of God and he knew He was starving. Jesus also knew Satan’s true motives. Satan wanted Jesus to use His power to satisfy a physical need. Satan wanted Jesus to give in!
Satan wants us to give in; he wants us to look at ourselves instead of Jesus. Jesus wants the opposite! He wants us to look to Him and Him alone, He wants to see true, faithful followers who love, obey and serve Him NO matter the situation. Jesus knows our weakness’ He had them too when He walked the earth, but He kept His eyes focused on God and believed with out a doubt that God would provide and take care of Him and His needs. Jesus knew that it was God and God alone that He needed.
We don’t have to bargain with God, we do not and should not question Him and His care for us. We do not have to re-word our prayers for self-pleasing reasons. Instead we should fully trust in the very God that created us, cares for us, and knows our every need. We need to fight the twisted words of Satan with the straight and true words of God.
Jesus set the example for us during His time of temptation and we need to follow in that same path-look to God, trust fully on God, and resist the Devil and he will flee from us.
Prayer: Jesus thank You for setting the example for us, and for showing us how to resist temptation. Jesus forgive us for coming to You with self-pleasing motives. Amen!
