DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: NOVEMBER 20 LESSONS FROM JESUS TEMPTATION (2) SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 4: 1-11; JOHN 12: 31; 14: 30

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We heard yesterday how Jesus, before being tempted by datan, knew He would be tempted; reason He underwent the fasting and praying. It is usually funny seeing some Christians never ready for the days of the tempters. Knowing that we are in a world that hates righteousness, we Christians must be ready for temptation that will surely come. Another thing learnt yesterday was that it would have been a spectacular performance for Jesus to jump down from the pinnacle of the temple unhurt as a Son of God. Yet, He refused doing that because He would have done what the Father never told Him to do then. We Christians must learn how to stay away from spectacular works of signs and wonders by borrowing powers from devils. We must note in today’s devotional that everything about Jesus Christ was in accordance to the plan and purpose of God for us. His temptation was not primarily to make Him fall, but for Him to experience the temptation for our sake. Having passed through temptation made Jesus to be acquainted with our stages of temptations in order to help us out of temptations (Heb. 2: 17).

Another point to note from Jesus’ temptation is the fact that, He was led into the place to be tempted by the Holy Spirit and had the Holy Spirit stood by Him; to enable Him overcome the devils. This should inform every Christian how important to hold on to the Holy Spirit while in this world. Anyone who the Holy Spirit stands by him or her will surely overcome whatever temptation in the world. The aim of Satan is to tempt us into committing sins; our aims should be to depend on the Holy Spirit for guiding us into righteousness. Jesus Christ was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Heb. 4: 15). By nature, no human being can resist temptation when being tested by Satan and his cohorts. We all need divine intervention that comes through the ministration of the Holy Spirit.

The general attitude in human beings is unpreparedness towards what they know is coming to them. Most of the temptation that comes to a man does not enter into him accidentally. Sin comes into the heart subtly through suggestion or the urge from the tempters. We usually hear the voice in our hearts and feel the degree of the implication of the action to be taken. Yet, we allow ourselves go ahead to do what we are moved to do. Some of us know the right words to speak to our tempters that can silent them, still we shut our mouths. Jesus expressed the corresponding words of God to silent Satan during His temptation. Every evil action comes to us through suggestion, then the nature of action to be taken from the suggestion. If all of us can guide ourselves away from what we are told to do by Satan, we will all be masters and mistresses of righteousness.

PRAYER:

FATHER LORD, remold my inner self to be able to accommodate the Holy Spirit who will, in turn, protect me from falling prey to tempters of mankind. Enable me to always go along with the presence of the Holy Spirit on my inside in Jesus name.

bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch