Day 4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:1-4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Let’s be honest, Jesus could have turned every stone into bread right at that moment. However, Jesus understood the difference between what He could do and what He should do. Many of us go day by day thinking just because we can do something; it means we should do it. That’s not always necessarily true. Is EATING a sin? Of course not! However, when you are fasting you must recognize you’re seeking after something more than just a full belly, you’re seeking a renewed spirit.
On the latter half of this piece of scripture, Jesus combats Satan with one of the most powerful weapons and triumphs over him. What weapon was that? The Word of God. It is important that as you are fasting you stay connected, reading the Word daily, meditating on it and fixing your attention on it throughout the day. Not only is it important in your spiritual development to partake in the Word of God, it will also be one of your greatest weapons in fighting the enemy when he comes to tempt you.
Over the duration of the fast remind yourself daily that ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ This will be one of your most powerful weapons in fighting the temptation you will face throughout fasting.
No comments:
Post a Comment