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The Second Temptation
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Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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 dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” (NRSV)
Listen to the radio broadcast of The Second Temptation
Download audio fileHave you ever been tempted to put God to the test? You know, you’re going through a rough patch so you throw the gauntlet down at His feet. “Well Lord, if you really love me, now’s the time to show it.”
From our standpoint, the logic’s flawless. God loves me, I’m hurting, so He should stump up to fix things to end my suffering. In fact, Lord, I’m going to set things up so that if you don’t show up I’ll totally crash and burn. Makes sense, right?
When Jesus was suffering in the wilderness, oddly, the devil came along and tempted Him to do just that; to put God to the test. That has to be a warning light, right? If the devil tempts you to do something, by its very definition, it has to be wrong!
Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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 dash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” (NRSV)
So why shouldn’t we put God to the test? Because He invariably has a hidden purpose behind our suffering, either doing something in us, or for other people … something that’s not immediately obvious. What an affront to His sovereignty for us to demand that He change course, that He abandon His greater purpose for our comfort and convenience!
Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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