Valuable Lessons From My Notes

Today I'd be sharing directly from my notes. The notes were written from Matthew 4 on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. But the Scriptures below are from Luke 4 still on the temptations of Jesus.

Jesus was confronted three times. These confrontational conversations formed the temptations.

"If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
 
If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone."

-Luke 4

What Lessons are here to learn?

1. The devil always seeks to shift the focus of the believer from His Identity in Christ to actions. He makes you believe that it is what you do that confers divine status on you, or confirms that you really are who God says you are. Many times these actions will not glorify God, rather they glorify the flesh. No matter what you do, it cannot add up to what Jesus has already accomplished for you in His death, burial and resurrection.

2. In the second temptation the devil asked Jesus to bow to him, in exchange for THINGS. The devil often seeks to make the believer concentrate on the THINGS of the world as against loving God and our fellow men. Jesus didn't fall for this. We shouldn't either. Apostle John, further buttresses this when he said "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15

3. The devil often seeks to make people use God's resources for the gratification of fleshy/personal desires. That's what leads some leaders to divert funds in their care to meet personal needs at the expense of the organization they lead. Jesus didn't fall for the temptation to use His position and power to command angels to meet his needs. He rather avoided the temptation and was victorious.

Have you gained from this? Are you in any of these situations?

Kindly share and comment.

Meditate on the scriptures and find strength today.

Oluwatobi Adesanya
For Daily Dealings