PART 2. NO
NEED TO PROVE YOURSELF
Lessons from
Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (continued)
I
have fasted a few times in my life but never have I been able to pull off a
total dry fast for more than two days. My preference is to always break the
fast at 5/6pm with a proper meal and then have noting until the next day same
time. I will do this for one day, three days or a week depending on what I feel
compelled to do. I have tried the other types of fasts like dry fast, fluids only
or the Daniel fast but I have accepted that they are not my portion. Jesus
fasted 40 days and 40 nights and the scriptures say, he was hungry when the
devil came to tempt him.
Mathew 4:2-4
2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was
hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son
of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live
on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”
Now
I can’t imagine what someone who has been fasting 40 days and forty nights
would be going through. By the time the scripture categorically says he was
hungry, I believe that Jesus had reached his breaking point. The problem I believe
was not in the turning of stones into bread, but the quick realization that the
devil was trying to plant seed of doubt in the mind of Jesus. The devil was provoking Jesus by questioning
his identity in God.
Often
times, we are faced with the same provocations. Are you really saved? Does God
really love you? If you are the child of God, then pray and let us see an
instant miracle. I encourage you to counter these thoughts, words or people with
the word of God.
Take out: Don’t give into the provocations of the devil when he starts to
question your identity in Christ. You do not need to prove yourself to him or
to anyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment