Kept safe in a very dangerous place

I read through the Bible every year using a guide generated by a software program. The reading for today included Matthew 4. Then I opened my devotional booklet and the reading for today is Matthew 4:1-10. Like Gibbs on NCIS, I do not believe in coincidences. God has something vital to say to me from this passage.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 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.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:1–10)

The first thing I notice is that this temptation was part of God’s plan. The Spirit led Jesus to a lonely place where He would experience it. Oh my . . .

Last night I woke up around 3:30 and spent the next few hours in the wilderness. My husband is on the other side of the world. With that plus several other circumstances, I felt alone, even abandoned to the point of physical pain. It was horrible. At that time, I could not ‘call a friend’ or do anything to fix the problem. I did pick up a novel, but first spent some time in the Bible and in prayer.

As I read this passage this morning, I noticed three characteristics of these temptations that I’d not noticed before. In His hunger, Satan tried to move Jesus to rely on something else instead of the Word of God to help His with His hunger. I realized how strong Satan tempted me to escape into my novel and not bother at all with Scripture and prayer. However, I knew that I needed words from God, not words from David Baldacci.

In the second temptation, Satan suggested that Jesus take matters into His own hands and test God. I thought of taking matters into my own hands, and even that relying on Christian friends would be far better than reading a novel. However, at that time in the night, I doubt if any of my friends would be ready to jump up and come over to hold my hand. I was on my own, or at least felt like it. Instead of trying to fix this by myself, I began saying God’s promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” While it did not change my emotions, this did change how I was thinking.

Third, the devil tried to get Jesus to put something above obedience to God and above worshiping God. Jesus didn’t fall for that either. Instead He quoted Scripture again. I remembered a few verses and also began singing praise choruses. I’m not a great singer and the horrible emptiness was still there, but eventually fell back to sleep. My alarm rang about an hour later.

The first thing I noticed was that I was in a new place, not in that wilderness with the tempter trying to turn me into a faithless, self-sufficient atheist, but at peace and ready to get up. I might need a nap later, but verse 11 says, “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” (Matthew 4:11)

I say, Praise God and amen.

Motivated from the inside out…

Sometimes, when things in life become too confusing, or unbearable, or out of control, I try to imagine a clearer vision, an easier solution, or at least something I can control. This doesn’t work very well. For one thing, my imagination does not even come close to God’s solutions. For this, Paul wrote…

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21, KJV)

God’s view of life is not the same as mine. Where I see chaos and difficulty, He has a plan that is “exceedingly abundantly above” what I can ask for or even imagine. He knows which challenges to place before me that will draw out faith and strengthen my resolve to serve Him. My problem is that if these challenges are producing doubt and disobedience, then what do I do?

Today’s devotional points to the same verse as yesterday. It reminds me of a fundamental truth about being a Christian. My life is not about following rules or doing certain things, but about the motivations behind who I am and what I do. This motivation is not about me or about outside influences. It is about the One who saved and preserves me for Himself, the One who is closer than a brother…

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

I tend to have a fairly black and white approach to most things. As far as being a Christian is concerned, it seems there are no grey areas. That is, if the Spirit of God is not in control, then the flesh is. I am either filled with Him or filled with myself, standing for Christ or tipped over and useless.

Lately I’m rethinking this. I’ve had so many ups and downs that I often don’t know which way is current. I’ve had several things happen that could be seen as God at work or Satan trying to ruin my walk with Christ. When I ponder the reason for this season of mishmash, it seems related to being immersed in theological studies. The lectures and readings are so amazingly good that my spiritual enemy does not want me to learn and grow, so he is hitting me with all sorts of goop.

But there are other complications. I’ve had old habits  flare up that I assumed were conquered. The spiritual weapons used in the past seem powerless in the present. Not only that, my motivations keep changing. At times, I’ve wondered about my sanity, or is this some sort of dementia? At the same time, I’ve experienced deeper and richer Bible study, amazing messages from the pulpit, and richer and more transparent fellowship with other Christians than ever before. This is like riding a roller coaster, or being in a blender.

The author of the devotional reading says that Christians need strong motives for action and for resistance to temptation. We need them to counter the damaging rule of the flesh from within, and to oppose all that slams into us to crush our wills and fortitude from without.

Certainly, God gives basic truths that are clear and proven weapons. Jesus is my Savior and He WILL save me. With all temptation, God provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13) even as I struggle to find it. No weapon formed against me shall prosper because my righteousness is from Him (Isaiah 54:17), praise God. A thousand promises are given, plus the example of Jesus using Scripture to fend off the tantalizing offers from His enemy and mine. I have all I need to win this battle.

The devotional writer says that there is no better source for Christian motivation than today’s verse. It appeals to the “sanctity, responsibility, powers, and capabilities” implied in the inward presence of the eternal Spirit of God, the great gift of His new covenant, sent to me by Jesus Christ.

Apart from the Spirit, I have no resource in “moments of moral surprise” or depression, or when a felt sense of isolation threatens to take out my heart. Apart from the Spirit, I cannot respond when called upon to be daring, or to obey a difficult request. As the devotional writer suggests, these words be emblazoned on the walls of that inner temple of my heart. It is here inside my heart that I need Him for acquiring a clear vision, a firm grasp of truth and even more, the ability to make use of what He so freely gives me.

The powerful presence of God

While hardly a perfect comparison, those television commercials for air freshener describe the presence of God. People are blindfolded and put into a ‘stinky mess’ where the freshener has been used. They think they are in a garden, not near a pile of muck.

A better description might be that God is everywhere, even in places we associate with evil, but He is not defiled by the impurity around Him. Imagine the rays of the sun falling on a rotting corpse; that corpse cannot change nor can it spread its corruption to the sunbeam. The presence of God is like that.

Christians who struggle with temptation and sin need to remember His presence and that we have a special relationship with Almighty God. Although He is everywhere, He manifests his presence by his Spirit in an intense and special way for those who are alive in Christ Jesus. We who love Him and have been reborn by His Spirit are profoundly aware of God in us.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16–17)

How is this practical? That seems a silly question. How is my life and behavior affected when I am with godly people? How do I respond to the presence of someone who is joyful, or kind, or noble, or any other grand quality of character? I am lifted up a notch, encouraged by a higher goodness.

Yet the presence of God in me is more than mere influence. It is the Spirit of Christ that changes the way I think, talk, and act. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. Jesus said,

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

One of my near relatives is a caregiver for her spouse. She told me that she is at the place in her spiritual life where she cannot do anything apart from prayer and the grace of God. This is not only about physical ability. She referred more to having grace and courage, right attitudes and spiritual strength to keep going, wisdom for choices. Her situation is not easy.

We commiserated. I feel that same sense of need. No matter what I tackle, I’m bombarded by temptation to quit doing or saying the right things, even thinking the right thoughts. Apart from the biblical assurance that God is with me, there are days where I wonder if I’m one-step from hell itself. This season of torment seems relentless and without end, having respite only when I’m with other Christians or involved in prayer and reading God’s Word.

One comfort is offered by reform theologian Arthur Pink, in his book called “Practical Christianity.” In talking about the need to guard our hearts, he says that such battles prove that a Christian’s heart is honest and upright. That is, unsaved hypocrites never struggle with and mourn over their heart’s condition or temptation to sin.

He also says God does not leave His people under these burdens without reason. He describes those who struggle with vain thoughts for years and are still plagued by them, yet God uses that to show His people what our hearts are like by nature, and how much we need His grace. He adds, “He would keep you humble, and not let you fall in love with yourself!”

Lastly, Pink says God will shortly put an end to these cares and heartaches. The time is coming when my heart shall be as I want it. I will be delivered from such struggles and never again lament about my hard, vain, earthly and unclean heart. God will purge all darkness from my understanding, all vanity from my affections, all guilt from my conscience, all perversity from my will.

When this happens, I will be always delighted and entertained by the supreme goodness and holy excellency of God. In that day, the shadows will flee away and I “shall be like Him, for (I) shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). 

Struggling, with God at my side, is better than…

My biggest temptations are not about wanting to do evil, but wanting to enjoy perfection. Of course, perfection is not available, so what am I going to do about it? Can I patiently wait for it (it will come in eternity) or do I foolishly try to make it happen?

If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5)

Using these metaphors for myself, I want to soundly win the race, regardless of who or what I am racing. I want to be in the safe land where I can trust everything and everyone, not be where life is difficult and hindered by slow going. Instead of trusting God with my progress in the race, or with what jungle He might call me to hack my way through, I want to be first and the finish line, and never even see a jungle.

Today’s devotional reading is both a rebuke and a comfort. The author first points to the survival of the church. Many man-created structures have come and gone, but the church endures. As the reading says, the church “was willing to give up anything to hold her ground, to pour out blood like water in order to take root.” Christians for centuries have not only believed in Christ, but also suffered for His sake. When “persecutors thought they were scattered like chaff, it turned out that they were scattered like seed.” The church meets all opposition and survives because of its God-given power to endure.

This is the secret of success for individual spirituality. Patience is my safety, even if all else is lost. But what do I know of heroic endurance? I am so easily tempted to give up. My enemy cannot be dislodged. My sin is too stubborn, too deeply rooted. The kingdom of heaven in my dreams is impossible, at least in this life.

Why then am I in this world? Is it to find a soft place and easy tasks? I wonder what I have done for God or for humanity? Or what I have endured for that dream’s sake? What have I given up in my self-indulgent life or sacrificed that Christ might be exalted?

Jeremiah was scolded for his complaining and told that things could get worse. Instead of that giving me courage, the idea of endurance makes me wilt. I struggle with resisting sin in my own heart, never mind protesting the evil of this world. Yet today’s reading scolds me, particularly with these words: “To begin to serve God is to serve him forever. It knows no cessation. Complaining dies in his presence.”

Then it adds this: “If God sends someone to the thickets of Jordan, it is well. That individual will not go alone. A land of peace without God is a terror. The jungle of Jordan with God is peace.”

Temptations

My temptations are not the same now as they were many years ago before Christ came into my life. Back then, temptation was more about overt sin, those carnal “I-wants” that most people would say were sin. These days, they are far more subtle. 

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:14–15)

Temptation is an appeal made to human desires. If I want pleasure, or comfort, or more, or the best, I can be tempted to say and do many things that I ought not do. However, as Christ works in my life, my desires have become fewer and less about the world. I am less interested in “bigger, better, more” yet temptations have increased. They just come at a different angle.

These days, the evil one tries to pull me away from what God has given me through faith. Satan wants me to doubt that God loves and wants the best for me. He wants me to think that my life as a follower of Jesus Christ is pitiful and difficult. He wants me to think the blessings of God are coincidences or things that I have earned. He wants me discontent and without any fruit of the Spirit that blesses me and those around me. He wants me to quit, not care, not pray. The list is long and every day, he seems to come up with a new one.

Today I read that Satan’s focus is not so much to get me to do wrong as to keep me from being useful to God. He tries to shift my point of view so that I focus on things that do not matter. Without the voice of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, I’m not sure I would even recognize this as temptation, other than it seems to be relentless. The more I want to serve God, the more I find ideas and excuses flying into my mind that suggest I should stop doing so. This is war, yet God does not leave me without resources. 

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14–16)

Jesus Himself was tempted. Right after His baptism, He was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness” for this very thing. It was important that His calling to bear the sin of the world not be sidetracked, so right up front, He was tested and stood the test. He refused to bow to Satan’s offers, keeping His focus on His divine commission.

I relate to this testing. God has work for me to do, less demanding for sure, yet each day I am tempted to toss in the towel. Prayer is hard work. Reading the Word of God and doing what it says is hard work. Loving as He loves most often requires sacrifice. Serving others can be thankless. Instead of doing what God wants, I could write a bumper sticker that says, “I would rather be. . . .” and fill in the blank with a host of non-sinful activities that have little to do with obedience and advancing the kingdom of God.

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Lord God, You know that daily life happens to everyone. Many daily needs must be taken care of, like cooking, cleaning and pulling weeds. But when Satan tempts me to think this is all that I need to do, or that You do not care if I waste my time doing them, I need to remember what Jesus did with His daily life. I need to pay attention. Being responsible for the daily stuff is one thing; it is part of Your calling on my life, but Satan can also use it to draw me away from living more like Jesus lived. He tries to substitute “okay stuff” for total obedience — and I need Your grace to choose and live in total surrender and obedience to Your will.

Eating without sinning

Almost every evening and immediately after a good supper, I feel extremely hungry. My stomach is full, so I know this is not legitimate hunger. However, at times it feels like starvation.

About one week out of a month, it gets the best of me. Since I’m too old for hormonal cycles, I’ve been investigating. No answer has helped except the ideas given in a book called Love to Eat, Hate to Eat by Elyse Fitzpatrick. She suggests that some people crave the satisfaction that comes from eating so much so that it becomes a snare. It is also a sin because I claim God as my resource for joy and satisfaction, not food. To deny that and replace Him with food is idolatry.

This revelation helps. I’m confessing my cravings for what they are and have been able to resist, now that I see the sin side of them. However, this has not made them go away. The following verses describe some of my thoughts in this battle as God works to change the way that I think about food.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. (Hebrews 12:3–10)

Jesus hung on a cross when He could have come down and saved Himself. He resisted that temptation because His death was the Father’s plan. He said, “Not my will, but thine be done.” I’ve not resisted food cravings to that point, nor will that ever happen. I am encouraged by the commitment of my Savior.

I’m also encouraged that this discipline from God is also a mark of being a Christian. For those who never experience His chastening or His command to be self-controlled, there is no assurance that they are His children. God disciplines me because He loves me. This is for my good. It may be about health and good habits, but it is more about being able to say no to sin and yes to whatever He asks. If He says “Eat” then I eat. If He says “Don’t eat” then I won’t eat. This is mostly about obedience, not food.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. (Hebrews 12:11–13)

Yea, I can relate to the painful rather than pleasant part, but also to the peaceful fruit of righteousness part. I have been to several “lots of food” events and ate only what I knew was right for me. This put great joy in my heart and gave me more confidence in other areas of obedience. I never realized how much sin destroys both until this war with food cravings. I’m also realizing that being concerned about losing weight or being healthy is not as important as being determined to please God. If I need those other benefits, He will bless me with them. For now, the focus is obedience.

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Father, I am thankful to be Your child, even Your child who needs discipline. Each area of my life belongs to You. I am delighted that You care about every part of who I am and what I do. Eating is such an ordinary activity, but even in that there is temptation or the threat of obedience. You say, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) and I say, “Amen!”