Seeds for 05/02/2023 - Matthew 4:3-4
Scripture: 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.’”
Observation: The first thing that jumps off the biblical page here is the word “if.” The tempter says, “If you are the Son of God.” In other words, prove yourself to me on my terms. I’ll believe what you say once you’ve done what I say. That’s an element that runs through all three temptations—the devil dictating the terms.
The first temptation is for Jesus to perform a miracle of personal provision. Throughout the Gospels, however, miracles are signposts pointing people to God the Father, the power behind miracle.
Often, when a verse or phrase is quoted, that invites us to go read it in context.
The scripture verse that Jesus quotes is Deuteronomy 8:3, in which Moses speaks to the Israelite people, reminding them what they’ve learned since escaping Egypt. Here’s how it reads in wider context:
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.
Here, hunger served a purpose. It brought to light what was in their heart—faithful trust or impatience. God fed them with manna, the provision of His promise—His word, not their efforts. The word that “comes from the mouth of God” is God’s promised provision. Will Jesus trust in His Father’s care or take matters into His own hands?
Jesus is the humble Savior, trusting in the promises of God. Not getting out in front of God’s provision, but patiently resting in the Father’s Word.
Application:
What makes it hard to trust God’s word/promise in the middle of challenging circumstances?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, give me a humble heart of patient, faithful trust. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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What makes it hard to trust God’s word/promise in the middle of challenging circumstances?
We tend to want God to bend to our will rather than our yielding to His will......
We will have challenges in our lives. Be patient, our God is all around and will answer our prayers, solve our problems but in His time. We just need to be faithful and patient. In my experience, just have faith, trust and through prayer, my challenges disappear. He is there. 🙏