March 20
Num 30:1-31:54 | PS 63:1-11 | Prov 11:20-21 | Luke 4:1-30
Consider how sad it is that Satan has more respect for the Word of God than most humans do. This enemy of God, who fell from his privileged place in heaven due to pride, may believe he can manipulate or somehow out maneuver God, but he still acknowledges God and understands the authority behind Scripture. Most debates with fellow humans disregard Scripture, relegate it to the level of fable, place it well under the level of “experts”, institutions, man-made doctrines or constructs. So many have disillusioned themselves to believe they are advancing, that they are evolving, not realizing just how base they are, not understanding just how much they have devolved, not grasping how absolutely lost they truly are. Unless one accepts the authority of Scripture, sorry to be this blunt, but you cannot know God, and you cannot be in a relationship with Him. When we marry we get to know our spouse, as this is how relationship grows. It is no different with the God of the Universe.
Jesus no sooner launches His public ministry after being baptized by John that we read in Luke 4:1-2, “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.” In a physically weakened state Satan takes on Jesus and tempts Him in the three areas most humans are prone to: lust, pride, and greed or power. These are the same temptations he thrust upon Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Eve failed. Jesus simply quoted the book of Deuteronomy three times and left Satan speechless. As evil as Satan is, he had no response when presented with the Word of God. We read the outcome in 4:13, “When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.” Satan’s next opportunity did not take long as Jesus returned to Nazareth, His hometown. Interestingly, He also quoted Scripture in the synagogue from the prophet Isaiah, showing the people that He was their long awaited Messiah, as He concluded in 4:20-21, “He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” The people knew the Scripture but were close minded and refused to accept the clear application. In fact, so angry were they at what Jesus said, they attempted to kill Him by throwing Him off the precipice of a cliff.
We must cherish God’s Word, make it readily usable. Every time something bad happens to us does not mean that it is Satan attacking. Oftentimes we ourselves, due to poor life choices, are responsible for the calamities which befall us. But those times when you step out personally or publicly, is often when Satan takes notice and be on the lookout, for the attack is not far behind. When I initiated this ministry, The One Year Bible Challenge in 2017, it was a time of intense attack, the likes of which I had never experienced personally before. The attacks came from practically every direction, and there were few ceasefires. The interesting thing is those times when the attacks lessen should not be a time for us to be lulled into laziness. The Word of God must be on the tip of our tongue and on our fingertips as we never know where and how it will manifest. Many plot out intellectual responses which are craftily assembled. This is not what our Savior did. The simple Word of God was His weapon, and should be ours as well. Memorize verses. Become so familiar with it that you know where to turn or can paraphrase what sections of Scripture are communicating. No matter what, as Christians we should not ask why, but instead, lean on Him, seek Him, for He is greater than anything that you may confront.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: