Tuesday – Read Exodus 7-9; Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:1-6. Not by Bread Alone. Jesus believed in the power of Scripture. Each time he was tested he quoted Scripture to give him strength to pass the test and overcome temptation. When tempted to turn stones into bread to feed himself when he was famished, Jesus remembered Israel’s testing in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 says: 2 Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. 3 He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. God allows us to experience times of testing to know what is in our hearts and whether we will keep God’s commandments. Our lives consist of more than simply physical needs. We live not by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. We can trust every promise of the gospel to nourish and sustain us. Jesus resisted this temptation and embodies the whole Word of God. Thank Jesus for providing for your physical and spiritual needs.

 

Wednesday – Read Exodus 10-12; Matthew 4:5-6; Psalm 91:11-12; Exodus 17:1-7. The Second Test. The devil can quote scripture, too and seeks to misinterpret it to confuse Jesus. By putting Jesus on the pinnacle of the Temple in the Holy City, the tempter tempts Jesus to put the Lord to the test by making a sensational demonstration that Jesus is the Son of God. When Israel was thirsty in the wilderness they put the Lord to the test with their question, “Is the LORD among us or not?” They failed to remember all of the times God proved faithful to them and all of the times God helped them and rescued them. We experience this test when we walk through a season in the valley and doubt that God is really with us. This is why it is so important for us to daily thank God for our blessings and remember the ways God has helped us and proven faithful in the past. As you pray, take the time to remember and thank God for how God has blessed you and helped you.

 

Thursday – Read Exodus 13-15; Matthew 4:7, 26:36-39; Deuteronomy 6:16-17. Do Not Put the Lord to the Test. Jesus refuses to leap from the Temple to demonstrate God’s presence with him. He obeys God’s law to not put God to the test. Honoring God excludes every kind of manipulation, including putting God to the test. Such testing does not come from trust but from the lack of it. Trying out the promises of God to see if they really work is not a sign of sure faith but of fundamental doubt. It implies that we are in God’s position and that we not only know God’s promises but that we also know how, when, and where God is supposed to fulfill these divine promises. Putting God to the test dramatically reverses our relationship with God and suggests that we are in charge and that God is simply our servant. Let your prayer be Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: Not my will, but thy will be done.

 

Friday – Read Exodus 16-18; Matthew 4:8-9; Exodus 32:1-6. The Third Test. Finally, the devil offers Jesus great power to rule over all the kingdoms of the world if he will submit to the devil and worship him. The devil tempts Jesus to achieve the destination of his ministry without making a sacrificial journey, to claim the victory without suffering and enduring the struggle. The devil suggests to Jesus, “Why not cut out the suffering and the painful parts and get right to the victory? Just bow down and worship me, and you can have it all today.” Idolatry was a genuine temptation for many Jews who wished to participate fully in the politics and economics of the Greco-Roman establishment. Many Jews were willing to accept “a pinch of idolatry” to further their personal careers. The Church faces this temptation when we bow down to that which is not God—to nation, or race, or family, or social standing—hoping it will fill our hearts. We fall to this temptation when we attempt to soften the cost of discipleship and pretend that the work of Christ does not involve suffering. Confess the times you have worshiped false idols and ask Jesus to forgive you.

 

Saturday – Read Exodus 19-21; Matthew 4:10-11; Deuteronomy 6:13-15; James 4:7-8a;

II Corinthians 12:9. Worship Only the Lord. Jesus will not waver from his calling, avoid suffering, or bypass his journey to the cross. Jesus has undivided loyalty to his Father, and he will not ride two horses. He will worship and serve God only. Jesus knows the Scriptures, and he will obey them. Jesus resists the devil and commands him to leave, thus illustrating the truth of what his brother James tells us: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When you command the devil to leave in the name of Jesus, he must obey. Jesus passed the test in the wilderness and resisted temptation. We are tempted to mistrust God’s readiness to empower us to face our trials. We forget God’s promise: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Ask God to give you strength to pass the test and overcome temptation.