Stick to the Word!

Thursday, June 14th> Matthew 4: 1-11 How does Jesus' experience in the wilderness serve as a warning about who and what we listen to? I just love the way our God is a God of another chance! Everything we failed in, He redid and succeeded. Rewind to the garden: Eve encounters the devil in serpent form. I don't know about anyone else, but the fact that she didn't find it strange for a snake to be speaking doesn't sit that well with me. Anyway, she goes right on and hears it out. When what it tells her doesn't line up with the Word, she has yet another opportunity to get herself away from this talking creature. Yet, she doesn't take it. Result: she falls into agreement without being forced to, and gives up eternal fellowship with God Himself for temporary power. Fast-forward to the wilderness. Same evil presence, different form. I'd like to think this time he presents himself to the Son of Man as an angel of light-- as smooth and persuasive as he can be. But this time, he overplays his hand when he assumes he actually has something Jesus thinks is worth taking in exchange for the glory of His Father. Unlike Eve, Jesus knows the treasure of being and staying in God's perfect will no matter what the cost. Furthermore, He IS God's Word in flesh. There was no way satan could get Him to fall out of agreement with His own Self. So, as an example to us, Jesus modeled what we should do every time the enemy tries to tempt us with what's already ours. HE SPOKE THE WORD. He stuck to TRUTH, countering every attempt the enemy made to sway Him from God's will. Saints, our model has been established for us. Every time we're tempted to deviate from the PLAN, here's our standard response: "It Is Written!" We have a choice: we can repeat Adam and Eve's mistake, or we can celebrate Jesus' victory by defeating the enemy just the way He did. Let's stick to the Word.