Turning Stones Into Bread

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’” 9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

- Luke 4:3-13

 

The devil tempted Jesus three times during His forty days fasting; it was when Jesus was physically weak that the devil grabbed the chance.  Jesus, the Son of God, was tempted.  And why was Jesus tempted by the devil? “Temptation is part of the human experience.”  Jesus was fully human and fully God.  Jesus had to experience temptation as well for Him to be able to understand us fully.

Waging War: Me versus I

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I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

- Romans 7:15

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!

- Romans 7:21-25

 

Paul, even when he became a Christian, still struggled with sin.  What he did not want to do, he did; what he wanted to do, he didn’t do: a struggle with sin in the flesh.  He wanted to do, and he did desire to do God’s law, but seemed he was a prisoner (still) of sin.  A Christian has still struggles with sin indeed.

You Won’t Take Your Job to Heaven

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces, perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

- Romans 5:3-4

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[Copied from Rick Warren’s Daily Devotional]

You’re not taking your job to heaven.  You’re not taking some gold watch or achievement award to heaven.  You’re taking YOU, so you want to build your character because God is more interested in what you become rather what you do.