This week we’re studying the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. The devil has swooped in when Jesus was weakest from not eating for 40 days, and he’s making his twisted offers. While the devil is convinced he is going to defeat Jesus with these temptations, Jesus knows he is here to defeat these temptations and make a way out for you and I. He faced it all so that you and I could make it through too. Defeat is not our destiny, there’s an out!
Yesterday, in episode #1751 titled “Twisted Offerings” we read of the first specific temptation Jesus told about. The temptation to meet his legitimate need in an illegitimate way. He was legitimately hungry, so the devil tells Jesus to just turn the rocks into bread and eat. But that would defeat the purposes for which Jesus was there. He wasn’t there to use his supernatural power to battle the devil, he was there to show you and I how to overcome temptation when we ourselves are weak. And here, Jesus is showing us how we can be tricked into meeting real needs the wrong way.
Ahhhh, Jesus is helping us untwist the offerings of the devil and see them for what they really are! Jesus, keep going, your girls are ready for more.
Now, we read of the second specific temptation of the devil. Luke 4: 5-8, Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”
Just reading it, that really doesn’t seem to apply to you, now does it? I’ve skimmed over this scripture many times and gotten absolutely nothing from it. But now I’m seeing there is sooooo much for us here. So much that meets us right where we are today and addresses some of the exact temptations we’re dealing with.
To understand it better, let’s read another translation. The Passion Translation says it like this, “The devil lifted Jesus high into the sky, and in a flash showed him all the kingdoms and regions of the world. The devil then said to Jesus, ‘All of this, with all its power, authority, and splendor, is mine to give to whomever I wish. You can have everything!”
You know what this shows me … this shows me not all dreams and visions are from God. The devil is literally giving Jesus a vision of how good his twisted offer will be. But Jesus knew who he was dealing with and he knew, if the source is Satan, he wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with it.
Girl, not every dream you have is from God. Not every vision you receive is divine. Sometimes the devil is all up in your head twisting things. And sometimes those wild fantasies you have are because of the crazy crap you watch on Netflix. Before you go running after a dream and a vision, you better check the source. It’s not all Godly.
About a year ago I started having day dreams about going on the show Survivor. I’m being for real. I could see it. I would be the mother figure that would speak wisdom, pray before we eat our 1/4 cup of rice, and turn it all into an awesome adventure. Sounds good, right? But, I checked the source and soon I realized that wasn’t from God.
What’s the source of that bright idea you have? What’s the source of that dream, that vision, that possible next step? Have you asked, “God, is this from you?” I can’t even begin to tell you how many times in a single month I pray the Wreck It Prayer. Have you heard about it? It goes like this …
God, if you’re in it, I want it. If you’re not, I don’t.
I’ve come to the place of understanding if God is not the source of the dream, I absolutely DO NOT WANT to go off chasing it. If the dream isn’t from him, it will end up being a nightmare. So, God is invited to wreck anything that doesn’t come from him. And he does … and I’m glad. By the way, I’m not going on Survivor … but you know you would have watched if I would have!
POWERED BY BLUBRRY
