Page 5 - Living Light 87 sample

Wednesday November 27 - The ministry of the devil
The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:3
Only forty days earlier God had declared, “This is my Son...” (Matthew 3:17). The devil’s immediate response was to plant seeds of doubt: “if you are the Son of God...” This two-letter word “if”, once sown, watered and rooted, becomes a destructive force. We need to be constantly aware of the ‘ministry’ of the devil. Jesus defined it succinctly in John 10:10 – he “comes to steal, kill and destroy”. His prime target is our faith; faith in the word of God, planted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Jesus dramatically taught this in the Parable of the Sower: “the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their hearts” (Matthew 13:19).
This is not a new weapon – it’s been around since Eve was tempted by the serpent: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). The enemy sought to plant doubt, even in the mind of the Son of God! To doubt is not in itself wrong, as long as this does not lead us to disbelieve God’s word. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty; the proper response is to pray and seek godly counsel rather than surrendering to unbelief. We need discernment in order to know the source of the doubt. If it is the Evil One then we, like Jesus, should summarily dismiss it.
Father, I choose to put on the full armour of God (Ephesians 6:10- 18) to guard myself against the temptation to doubt your life- giving word. Amen.
Thursday November 28 - Bread alone
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on
every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
Jesus fasted for 40 days, and at his moment of greatest need the devil tempted him. Had Jesus yielded, the angels waiting to minister to Jesus’ needs (Matthew 4:11) would have been rendered redundant.
Jesus responded to the devil by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, ‘...man shall not live on bread alone...’ Throughout the world, bread is a basic food; our bodies turn its carbs into glucose, providing the energy we need to function. If bread is so important, why would Jesus say that man cannot live on it alone? It’s because we are spiritual beings – bread cannot feed our souls. Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life... the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).
Without the nourishment of God’s word we are starved of the spiritual energy we need to function. We are created as spirit, soul and flesh (body) in that order of priority. Adam communed with God, spirit to Spirit. Adam’s spirit, having been fed, nourished his soul (his mind, will and emotions) which in turn influenced his flesh (his actions and physical being). When Adam sinned, life turned on its head – flesh ruled soul, and his spirit perished. Tragically, satisfying Adam’s stomach became more important than satisfying God.
If you have come to faith, your spirit is ‘born anew’. Let’s ensure we nourish it with God’s daily bread, his Word.
Heavenly Father, please forgive me when I neglect to feed my spirit. Please give me a hunger for you, your word and your ways. Amen.
3
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY