Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
Hubby Dave bought a new gizmo from some promotional ad he saw on his phone. Actually, against my suggestion of buying one to test it out, he bought four because they were “such a great deal.” Supposedly we will get 200 more television stations with this device. Really? My philosophy is that five stations are too many, but 200?
Hubby was excited to see how his new contraption worked, but quickly he realized that a degree in nuclear science is required to fit all the pieces together. He decided to wait until his future grandson-in-law (with an electrical engineering degree) showed up to see if he had the answer. He did. We now have a plunger-looking antenna suctioned to our front door with a cord draped to the back of the television.
Of course, the Amazon description omitted this one, little detail: the television had to be near a window. Ours is not. It is, however, about four feet from the front door. Thus, the most convenient place to attach the plunger. Hubby says that I’m making a big deal out of nothing. Our house is “full of cords.” You know…cords that plug in the refrigerator, coffee pot, blow dryers, etc. (none of which, however, drape across a room and suction to a window or door). I reminded him of this.
We live in a world of enticements. There’s always something faster, smoother, cleaner, prettier, easier, quieter, bigger, or more efficient. Seldomly do they live up to their hype or reveal the problems that come with them. We know this, but we take the bait, anyway. It’s no different with sin.
The first time I read in scripture about Satan tempting Jesus to prove he was God’s son, I wondered why Jesus didn’t just send a bolt of lightning to his enemy’s head. If you remember the story, Jesus had fasted and prayed for 40 days when the enemy appeared and tried to entice Jesus. (I struggle with four hours, much less, 40 days.) Satan began with a physical temptation, telling Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus had to be hungry, and the tempter knew right where to target Jesus’ weakness. Jesus responded that man doesn’t live by bread alone but by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Satan focused on the physical, but Jesus focused on the spiritual.
Satan’s next attempt was to transport Jesus into Jerusalem and placed Him at the highest point of the temple (roughly the equivalent height of a 41-story skyscraper). Satan said, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.” He then quoted Psalm 91:11-12 (“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone”). Satan used those scriptures out of context because we are not to intentionally put ourselves in danger and expect God to protect us. Jesus used scripture correctly and quoted Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not tempt the LORD your God.”
Satan pulled out his last offer. He took Jesus to the top of a mountain and “showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matthew 4:8). In other words, Jesus could have everything he wanted for his own personal power and position. Once again, Jesus turned to scripture: “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matthew 4:10).
The message to us is clear. We need to know the Bible if we are to ward off temptation. Trying to take on Satan without scripture’s directive is like ordering television gizmos without checking out the fine print. Chances are, it will be a lesson we don’t want to learn.
