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anglican devotional

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 26 February 2023 – The Temptation To Prove

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TOPIC: The Temptation To Prove

READ: MATTHEW 4:1-11 (NKJV)

  1. Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
  2. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
  3. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
  4. But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “
  5. Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
  6. and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In [their] hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ “
  7. Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ “
  8. Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
  9. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
  10. Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “
  11. Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

THE MESSAGE:

We are daily faced with the temptation to prove: who we are, what we are, what we have, what we can do, etc. Jesus was tempted to do so too. He knew and was conscious of Satan’s motive which always is to get man to desire to share God’s glory with Him. But Jesus also knew that the weapon of our victory against Satan is the written Word of God. He also understood and knew exactly which word to use for any situation. Jesus was tempted in all the areas that daily confront us but He overcame.

Satan still comes subtly to tempt us to prove what we are worth, especially in areas where we are stuck and need help – through the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17). Just like Jesus, we will overcome if His Word abides in us (1 John 2:14) and we appropriately apply them. A relationship with the WORD Himself (John 1:1) enables us receive the power to be called children of God (John 1:12) and thus be empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome.

PRAYER: Father, strengthen us to dedicate ourselves to the study and obedience to the Word so that we can overcome daily, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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