There is an amazingly powerful truth in this seemingly simple scripture that is easy to overlook.Jesus is man, fully 100% human just like you!Sure he is also fully God, but consider for a moment just how human he is. In this scripture, Jesus resists satan. He had just fasted (no food) for forty days! He became very hungry. His body cried out for food through deep pain, no different than you and I.
How can we know? Look closely at the scripture. "Man" shall not live by bread alone. Man. Jesus fought off satan's temptation to misuse Gods power for personal gain, by quoting a scripture about man! If Jesus were not human, that scripture would not apply to him. Jesus must be human for that scripture to be true for him!
Why is that so important?
Have you ever felt hunger with no means to buy food? Jesus has. Have you experienced the deep crippling grief of losing a loved one? Jesus has. Ever felt overwhelmed with tears, despair, pain? Jesus has. Ever felt betrayed by one you trusted deeply? Yes, Jesus has. Every pain, every challenge you face, Jesus faced it. He knows and fully understands our lives, our pain. He was human, living in this evil filled fallen world just like us, facing all the pain we face. He was and is "man". He feels your pain.
That's the good news! By living among us, by facing what we face, by living our life, he was able to overcome for us. His victory can be ours. Not only is he the ultimate friend who has "been there", but he overcame it all for us! When we are beaten, defeated, hopeless, he is our strength because he was there first and he overcame it for us. We don't have to " be strong", we just need to turn to him and accept his strength.
Jesus is the answer to whatever we face. He beat it and is waiting to hand us his victory.
Yes, it is that simple... Because man does not live by bread (strength, willpower, self-help) alone, but by every word of God.
Are you ready? Jesus is calling you. He is calling you by name, because he knows you. He knows all about you, and chose you. He calls you just as you are, today, right now. He calls you to himself, to follow him. Do you hear the call?
The disciples left everything. Their family, their career, their friends, their life. They just gave it all to Jesus. Their life became about following Jesus, andnothing else. No distractions!
Most of us are not called to physically leave all this. We still work for a living, still care for our family, still live in our community. However, we ARE called to leave all those things as our purpose in life. Our life becomes about following Jesus IN our job our family, IN our neighborhood, IN our family. Our own goals end so that our eyes and hearts are only on him.
If we don't leave everything behind we are not following Jesus. His call is all encompassing, all consuming. His call is to lay everything at the foot of the cross and follow him, whatever that means.
Do you hear the call? Don't hold back. Don't delay. Give it all to him and follow Jesus today!
Does the enemy know who you are? Does your presence threaten his existence? Does your life and work hinder his mission? Does he cry out in despair when you enter the room?How is it that we can walk in holiness and power as Jesus promised, and not threaten the enemy by our very existence? If we are walking in salvation, washed clean of all sin, living day by day as an example of Jesus to the world, shining with the glory of Gods light, exercising the power and authority of the holy spirit... If all that is true, demons tremble when we speak.
Not because of us... No.. But because we have died to self and live for and as Christ! The more of "us" there is visible in our life, the less the enemy cares about us. The more Jesus is evident in our life, the more trouble that life causes satan.
Does the enemy know you by name? Do they tremble at the holiness and power of our every breath? If not... Our prayer should be more Jesus and less us...
