IDOK DEVOTION FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010
Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:
My Text for the last several minutes has been Matthew 4. That is the account of JESUS in the wilderness.
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
First I noticed that JESUS was hungry AFTER the 40 days and 40 nights had expired. The Text is very clear. It says after He had fasted THEN He became hungry. JESUS was not concerned with food in those days of fasting. It was not on His mind; He was not watching His watch wondering when this was going to be over so He could eat.
So as I read I asked Him, ‘what did You do in those 40 days and 40 nights of fasting’? I believe He answered me. He worshiped, He communed with His ABBA, our ABBA. Think about it! Forty days and forty nights of no phone calls, no emails, no office, no clothes to wash, not ONE soul to bother you — just one on one with GOD Himself. As far as I know from Scripture that was the last time He would have that one on one time with ABBA for that length of time again until He got HOME to Heaven again. No wonder He was not hungry for physical bread; He was storing up for the long ‘winter’ to come. Don’t that just bless you?! It sure does me!!
I have less than an inkling of what He was experiencing there; but I do have some taste of it. There are have been moments when the worship, the study, the communion in the Holy Spirit was so sweet even the thought of food would have been an ugly intrusion. Forty days and forty nights! For now we can only imagine!
And then what happened? That arrogant, low life, illegitimate (my beloved doesn’t like for me to use the b_ _ _ _ _ _ word) shows up. But JESUS handled him!
3And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”
5Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; AND ‘ON THEIR HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'”
7Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'”
8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
9and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” 11Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
I do not have an adequate vocabulary to tell you here what this scene stirs in me. This is GOD here. Almighty God! And what does Satan do? That arrogant, low-life, illegitimate that he is! Has the audacity to TEST God! (Where do you think we humans learned it?!!) But that’s not the incredible, amazing; yes — even awesome happening here. The awesome thing here is that CHRIST JESUS allowed it! (Oh! that we humans would learn this lesson – humility!) In this scene is ultimate arrogance and ultimate humility. JESUS CHRIST allowed Satan to speak to Him, even escort Him to the pinnacle of the temple and then to a high mountain — oh my goodness! I’d wanted to push him off that pinnacle and the mountain! But JESUS didn’t! What a lesson for us to learn! When people strut into our lives, challenging us, what do we do? We want to push them off their ‘high horse’, don’t we? We’re wrong, aren’t we? Humility rather would hold to what we know about ourselves in Christ, speak the Word in firm love and let them flap their tongues, wave their arms and stomp their feet if they want to, while we wait for ABBA to show up and remedy the situation.
What a picture! GOD Himself with all the power in the Universe, doesn’t get off into pride and ‘show out’ for Satan. No, He just showed Satan up for what he is and showed us that IN HIM, we can send that arrogant, low-life, illegitimate packing too! 11Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.
Thank You, ABBA, for Your Word. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for delivering it to us and, LORD JESUS, thank You for putting on skin and coming to our rescue.
And, Holy Spirit, I pray now for our IDOKs and our Readers, help us internalize this message so we can externalize it. We pray for our IDOK Troops, for their safety and protection today; for their families to be whole and live with honor. I pray for Israel, for peace and protection; for wisdom and discernment and holy boldness to do what must be done to fulfill Your Prophecies regarding them.
And as we have read the names of our list, some of their faces are familiar faces to me and their cries I am privy to, ABBA, some I am not. But I know that is not the requirement, coming to You in faith is and we do come in faith; knowing full well that You are good, You are kind, You are able and You are willing to do even more than we asked. We join together now and agree to receive Your Gifts and Your Will for each one listed. Asking and believing in Your Name, LORD JESUS. Amen and amen.
