Temptation: Part 1

Jan 13, 2019

If God alone was worthy of Jesus's worship, trust, and allegiance, surely He is worthy of ours.

 

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’

and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Matthew 4:1-7

 

If God alone was worthy of Jesus's worship, trust, and allegiance, surely He is worthy of ours.

• Temptation #1: Assert our "rights" over God's revealed will, instead of surrendering our "rights" to worship Him.
• Temptation #2: Insist God tell His story our way, instead of trusting God's way is best for us.
• What "perceived" rights do you tend to assert over God's calling, thereby worshiping yourself instead of Him? Do you demand a certain level of comfort, lifestyle, or control? Freedom from suffering or the right to spend your time/money as you please? 
• Which details of your life is God calling you to entrust to Him who alone is worthy of your trust? What is God calling you to surrender to Him in order to tell His story, His way, for His glory and your best?