Lead us not into temptation

 

Matthew 4:8-10Living Bible (TLB)

8 Next Satan took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. 9 “I’ll give it all to you,” he said, “if you will only kneel and worship me.”

10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “The Scriptures say, ‘Worship only the Lord God. Obey only him.’”

Have you ever wanted something so much that you feel you would do absolutely anything to get it?   A baby perhaps?   A relationship?  Revenge or payback?  A career?   Healing? Peace?  There is such a thing as ones heart's desire - we all have something or other at some point in our lives.... a deep yearning for something which is out of reach but possible, if only... if only.... if only we had more money, or more time, or different opportunities.   It's at these times and in these places in our lives that our enemy comes a calling.  You could have that thing you really desire if you just bend the rules a bit.  Compromise.   Sell out.  Cheat.   He picks our weak spot and goes in hard.  Sometimes he wins.

I think its easy to read the story of Jesus's temptations and discount the temptation part.   We imagine that it was easy for Jesus to brush off Satan's offers without a second thought and trot out the scriptures with ease.  I dont think so.    I think Jesus was really, sorely tempted.   Scripture tells us He was tempted in every way as we are..... so He definitely considered Satan's offer - weighed it up, thought about it, wanted the easy way out.    He definitely had a moment when he quite fancied being in charge of all the nations of the world with no need for pain or bloodshed or sacrifice.   He could have sorted us all out.  Under His leadership surely the world would have been sorted. Tempting?  Just as He must surely have been starving and really really wanted some bread.     But the strength of His desires was placed ( probably with not inconsiderable effort) underneath His resolve and determination to obey God and follow His plan. 

Many years ago I was in love.  I was deeply and desperately in love and convinced that this relationship was the 'right one'.   I so wanted it to be the 'right one' that I did everything within my powers to hold onto it and steer it in the direction I thought it out to go - towards marriage.   I shrugged off the whispering of the Holy Spirit and refused to listen to the NO of God.  Until eventually He stopped talking to me and let me go on my merry way.  Eventually ( fortunately) the relationship disintegrated.  I was left utterly brokenhearted and wasted the next couple of years trying to get over the sense of loss and devastation.  And trying to repair my damaged relationship with God.  In the process He showed me that had Satan come to me during that time and offered me marriage in exchange for my salvation I would have said YES.    That thought terrified me.   That I could have wanted something so badly in the here and now that I would have laid down all the forgiveness of sins , mercy and grace, promise of eternity with Jesus for the sake of one flawed human being.  Eeeeeeeek!   I am very thankful to God that He protected me from having to face the temptation that Jesus faced .   As His word tells us, we will only ever be tempted up to, and not over, our limits.

Whatever our desires God knows them.   He delights to give us the desires of our hearts - but if He has seen fit not to grant them yet , well He is doing that for a reason.  Let us not be tempted to take matters into our own hands.  Or to succumb to the trade off the enemy wants to offer us.   It is more important to worship the Lord than it is to get what we want.