Today’s Reading: Matthew 4:1-11

The Lord has been working with me on my relationship to food, pointing out how often I seek food for comfort and coffee for energy. He challenges my way of thinking about food, reminding me to start eating to live instead of living to eat. So what would it look like if I cut back on my caffeine intake and started saying no to the sweet temptations of this world? What if I focused on what was good for my body rather than on what foods bring me joy? I am inspired by the way Jesus handled temptation and appreciate today’s reminder that it is God’s word that brings lasting satisfaction.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. – Matthew 4:1

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. God was not tempting Jesus but He was allowing Jesus to go through a time of temptation, just as He allows us to experience temptation.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. – James 1:13-14

By fasting through this time of temptation, Jesus was showing his intention to depend on God and God only for his strength. He was giving God his full attention, away from the distractions of his daily life and away from the satisfactions of the earth’s nourishments.

Jesus was able to say no to temptation because his focus was on God. Knowing Jesus would be hungry, Satan tried to play on this weakness in order to take advantage of his vulnerability, just as Satan tempts us where we are the most vulnerable or weak.

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:3-4

Jesus’ response to each of the temptations was to quote Scripture, a great model for how we can handle temptation. So if God’s word sustains us through the difficult times, shouldn’t we spend time in His presence soaking in what He says? Shouldn’t we study the word and be prepared by knowing the Scripture in order to be equipped to use them when the moment of temptation arrives?

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” – Matthew 26:41

Father God, we ask that your Spirit would lead us through the times in our lives when we are tempted to find satisfaction in the things of this world. As we soon celebrate Christmas with the tradition of giving and receiving gifts, bring us back to the true meaning of your birth. Remind us that the things of this world can only sustain us for a short time. Help us to rest in the knowledge that your living water can quench our thirst so that we never go thirsty again. Give us eyes to see the areas of our life in which we are focused too much on the taste of earth’s pleasures. Fill us with the sweet aroma of your presence and satisfy us with the taste of your scriptures. Amen.