Wednesday, March 6, 2019

The Twisting of Temptation

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  This I declare about the Lord:  He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.  For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.  They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.  You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!       The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”  Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16(NLT)

Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off!  For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you.  And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”  Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”  Matthew 4:5-7(NLT)

Unless you grew up in a Catholic faith tradition, or one of a handful of Protestant denominations that celebrates the season of Lent, it’s probably not even on your radar.  (Except, perhaps for those crazy people walking around yesterday with dirt on their foreheads).
But let’s just say you did go to church yesterday, had the thumbprint of ashes imposed between your eyes, and made a vow to reflect on this season of 40 days preparation for Easter.  Did you also, as a matter of self-discipline and identification with the suffering of Jesus Christ, include in your vow abstaining from something meaningful?  And, if so, considering its already Day #2, are you still hanging-in there, or did Lucifer win…. again?
It seems so often we make resolutions that are supposed to be game-changers, life-changers, and we cave as surely as the sun comes up in the morning.  It gets to be a habit, as the broken well-intentioned promises pile-up through the years.  We learn to shrug, make a mental note to do better next year, and move on.
But, wait just a moment.  Was that vow just a desire to lose weight, or eat healthier, something you wanted to do anyway?  Was it a disposable religious ceremony that just kind of fit-in with your schedule?  Or was it really a vow to the Most High God in Whom you take your refuge?
The temptation Jesus faced was more than a game-changer; it was not even close to a game, this plan for our redemption enacted in Heaven before the foundation of the earth.  God knew He would square-off against Satan on this issue of human free will, despised before the dirt on Adam’s birthday suit was smoothed onto his frame.  God knew precisely about protecting his holy child from the temptation that held our eternity as the prize.  When the Psalmist wrote that God would protect all of that, it was not just taking a box of chocolates off the table.
So Lent is serious business.  That’s why Lucifer went to the Temptation Bowl in the desert, and why he pulled out all the stops, even using Scripture (which he always quotes quite accurately, by the way) to goad Jesus into the foolishness of tempting the Father. 
But, here’s the point at which temptation always fall apart:  Lucifer twists Scripture to fit his agenda; he never invites Scripture to create his agenda.  And therein is the lesson on how to please self – twist Scripture until it isn’t recognizable enough to have any effect on your life and it will leave you to do what you want!  People who prefer their sins to God’s life have no refuge that will last.  But those who take God at his (un-twisted) Word have a shelter in the storms of life, and a genuine refuge for the day of trouble.
For You Today
Lenten journey is on!  It’s not about the absence of chocolate; it’s all about the presence of truth from the Most High God.  You can trust Him in the wilderness.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[i] Title Image:   via Wikimedia.com

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