Matthew 4:1-4: (NIV)
Jesus Is Tested in the
Wilderness
Then
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty
days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and
said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is
written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from
the mouth of God.’[b]”
Deuteronomy 8:1-5: (NIV)
Do Not Forget the Lord
8 Be careful to follow
every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may
enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember
how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years,
to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not
you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to
hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors
had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word
that comes from the mouth of the Lord
The
Word the LORD used against the devil the first time he was tested in the
wilderness, was, Man shall not live on
bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew
4:4).
This
Word is in reference to Deuteronomy 8:3:
Deuteronomy 8:3: (NIV)
He humbled you, causing
you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your
ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on
every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord
This
is important-Christ used a Word that spoke to the Israelites in the wilderness
for His own protection while walking through the wilderness as well. This
means, the LORD will speak a Word into your life that is directly applicable to your situation in your wilderness
season.
And
this Word, in Deuteronomy 8:3 is based on the passage above which is not to forget God. When we go through a
wilderness period, we tend to forget the LORD. We fail to understand that the
purpose of the wilderness is to be tested. Notice the LORD led the Israelites
through the wilderness for forty years and
Christ fasted forty days and forty
nights. Hence there is a correlation. And in Deut. 8, we are told to be careful to follow every command so that we may live and increase and enter and posses the land…First we need to follow the command. So what command has the LORD given you in the wilderness-is it to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Or is it to trust in the LORD and lean not on your own understanding? (Prov. 3:5) What is the Word the LORD has released-what did He say to you? You need to seek His face to hear His response. The wilderness season comes from a testing of obedience-the Spirit led the LORD into the wilderness. (Matt. 4:1) Hence the first question you should ask yourself is are you being led by the LORD? Secondly, Christ fasted forty days and nights (Matt. 4:2)-what has the LORD separated you from through His leadership-when we walk with God-we are set apart-so what is that fasting that has caused you to hunger? This will lead to the third step: the encounter-the manna.
This
will be the manna that you will use against the enemy when he speaks as Christ
did. This is because as the Word says it
is a spiritual source not a manly one. This is why this manna will have
been unknown to your ancestors-it is between you and God. This manna is a lesson. It shows you that truly, only God
delivers not man.
After
you follow the command, you will live and
increase. (Deut 8:1)
This
means you will live through the wilderness, and increase from it. It is an
inner work because then you will enter
and possess the land. (James 1:3) How?
Because firstly, you survived the experience, and you increased in capacity because of it. This will then
enable you to enter and possess the land
God promised. To be able to possess-you need strength. And this is built
through the increase the LORD releases in you because of your obedience to Him.
And
then you will be able to remember. (Deut
8:2)You will be able to remember how God
led you through that wilderness, for those forty days/nights/months/years whatever
season He has placed you in-you will
remember and this will cause you to be humble.
That
is the purpose of the test-to increase your humility and allow Christ to
increase in you, as you become less (John 3:30)-He changes your heart.
In
the wilderness, you will hunger-it is a
season of waiting and watching and testing and fighting and purging and you
need to be fed on the manna the LORD will provide and that is how you will
realize, man truly does not live on bread alone but on every Word that comes
from the mouth of the LORD. (Matt 4:4)
The
difference is now that Word will have
become life in your life-and the devil cannot take it from you-because it
speaks into your situation-a product of the process-a revelation of His
Salvation and when you connect with that in the wilderness-when your faith is
tested, and you are confronted, the Word is life-and will keep you protected.
So what is your manna in
the wilderness? What is the Word the LORD has given you as nourishment?
Q: How have you been tested
in the wilderness?
Tip: anytime you are tested,
remember how God has been faithful (Deut 8:2) and give Him praise-this will
release faith.
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