Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

Read Matthew 4:1–11

I am fascinated by lighthouses and enjoy visiting them on vacations. However, lighthouses were not just designed as beautiful landmarks. Instead, they helped seafaring vessels safely navigate darkness and storms, guiding them safely to port. The captain of many a ship has thankfully used those bright beams to avoid tragedy.

God’s Word and His presence in our lives are like that lighthouse, beaming a clear, steady light amid life’s storms. God uses His Word to guide and protect us when we face stormy temptations.

Matthew 4 describes how Jesus was led by the Spirit (v. 1) into the desert where He was tempted by the devil. Satan approached the Lord three times, trying to get Him to yield to his tempting suggestions. The wilderness setting was bleak, a stark contrast to Adam and Eve’s temptation in a luscious garden (Gen 2:8; 3:1–6). And, despite Jesus’ physical weakness from going without food for forty days (v.2), He effectively countered each temptation by quoting the book of Deuteronomy.

When Satan tempted Jesus to use His divine power to satisfy His hunger, turning stones into bread, Jesus replied with a direct quote from Deut. 8:3, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Each temptation was met with Jesus quoting God’s Word. And then, “the devil left him” (v. 11).

God’s Word and the presence of the Spirit were present at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. And once again, we see God’s Word provide triumphant power over Satan’s attempts to tempt Jesus. We too have access to that powerful defense. Just like Jesus, we can saturate our minds with the truths of God’s Word. Hiding God’s Word in our heart can give us power over the temptations we face each day. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Go Deeper

What can we learn about resisting temptation from following our Lord’s example? How is God’s Word like a lighthouse?

Pray With Us

Almighty God, through your Son Jesus Christ You’ve shown us that You are with us even in times of temptation. Like Jesus, we can have power over temptation by living in the light and truth of Your Word. “In your light we see light” (Ps. 36:9).

This Devotional is from God With Us: The Gospel of Matthew written by author Dr. James Coakley.

Find more edifying, Christ-centered devotionals and other great resources at www.todayintheword.org

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This Week’s Bold Step

You may know him as the grandfather of evolutionary psychology, but Charles Darwin was also a devoted father of 10 children. On April 23, 1851, his happy existence was shattered by the death of his oldest daughter, Annie, who died from tuberculosis just after turning 10 years old. Overcome with grief, the impact on Darwin’s faith and marriage was devastating. Rather than turn to God for comfort, his pain led him to search for a solution to the non-existence of God who was seemingly so unbenevolent.

We’ve all felt feelings of doubt and uncertainty in our lives that can either make our faith stronger or plant seeds of distrust. There’s a real danger when disappointments pull us away from God where we begin doubting His goodness, His promises, and our own calling. We can even go as far as accusing God of not helping us in the way we wanted or deserve. In our fragile state of belief, the enemy makes his move instilling lies about God in our hearts and robbing us of our passion and desire. Many self-proclaimed atheists who don’t believe in the existence of God arrived at that conclusion after a season of disappointment.

In Mark 9, we’re reminded of how precarious our faith can be with the account of a demon possessed boy and his desperate father seeking Jesus for help. One thing that is clear from the passage is the dad’s recognition of his need for Jesus’ intervention but it’s also clear that he’s not entirely confident that He can help him with his response, “if you can do anything.” Jesus sensing his doubt, questions the man’s qualifier and calls him to a more confident faith with his words, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” While Jesus isn’t suggesting that God will grant us everything we ask for, He is calling us to ask in faith knowing and believing that God is able to do the impossible.

Even in our best days, we are people of imperfect faith. In seasons of disappointment and uncertainty, it’s critical that we come to God, bring our requests before Him, and seek His face in prayerful dependency. Let us be a people who rely on God in the pain and disappointments of living in a fallen world. Therein lies the secret to a life of faith!

This devotional was written by Pastor Mark Jobe and used with permission from Moody Radio.

To learn more and to access other amazing resources please visit http://www.boldstepsradio.org/

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