So in this chapter, we studied how Christ fasted for 40 days and right after this sacrifice, He's tempted by satan.
He's fasting, bonding with His Heavenly Father, and as soon as He's done, satan tempts Him to eat. Then to basically kill Himself. And then to worship him.
We talked about this a little and I think about this a lot. The boldness of satan and how, we're never protected from his temptations. No matter our experiences, no matter our devotion to Heavenly Father, no matter our goodness.
So many times in my life I've said to Heavenly Father, "I'm trying so hard. I just want to do what is right. But satan is so in my face...and I'm almost giving up..."
Satan will tempt us with our "mortal needs." Christ was for sure hungry, so satan tempted Him with satisfying that hunger. For me, the mortal needs here would be addiction. I have to admit, I have an addictive personality. I can't just make 1 quilt a year, I have to make 500. That's why I won't gamble even once. I know me. I don't care if my BFF gambles. Or others around me. They just don't have the addictive personality that I do! ;)
Satan will tempt us in our thoughts, in our deepest darkest corners of our minds. That's where I put the "cast thyself down... He shall give his angels charge concerning thee ... lest an any time thou dash thy foot against a stone..." (I sense satan's sarcastic jealousy...) Not just suicidal thoughts, but like I said, my thoughts of giving up. How many times have the thoughts, "you have wasted your time as a mother!" as my kid swears with his friends, or I sit in church with half my kids trying to sleep the hour away and the other half trying to be sneaky on their phones (their success at being stealth is only my sympathizing "yeah, this IS boring!"). I could go on but won't.
Satan will tempt us in our successes. "...and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them..." saying, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me"
I'm not talking seance type thing or making weird satanic deals with the devil. That for me wouldn't even be a temptation. But enter pride, enter back patting because that checklist is 100% checked off. Enter "I'm super duper special..."
I mean, I'll admit. When I DO have a check list for the day and I can check em all off, I'm doing cartwheels!! But ... you get what I'm saying. Care in not letting that REALLY get into the head...
I said earlier that we're never protected FROM satan, but guess what? We ALWAYS have power OVER satan. It says so right in this chapter. Christ commands satan to depart and he has to listen. It's bascially, what will we do with our free agency. Listen to satan, or cast him from us?
And I don't think it's an all or nothing thing. That's where shame enters and shame is always satan's tool. Or that's where pride enters. And that's always satan's tool, too. What I mean here is, sometimes we fail and sometimes we succeed in these areas of temptation. But I don't think that identifies who we are. I think it's just a constant battle, day in and day out, sometimes we lose. Sometimes we win. But I think the most important verb here is "BATTLE."
If satan had the audacity to tempt the Savior of the world after a 40 day fast, bonding with Heavenly Father...of course he's going to have the audacity, stamina and slyness to tempt us at all times, at all levels. And thanks to this chapter, we can learn that we DO have the power to overcome him, to cast him out.
And what happened right after this battle between Christ and satan? Christ begins to gather His disciples and begins to teach His gospel, which includes lots of miracles. So wouldn't this be the same for us? When we find ourselves in super tough times, if we just move forward, there will be great rewards. Even miracles at our hands.
Many times I've found myself in mental or emotional or even physical battles with something! Doubt, feeling overwhelmed, frustrations with my broken down knees and shoulder...but ... it's been my experience that I can always see God's hand in my life. Always. Always!!!! Through my sister, my friends, through reading something, even strangers!
Look for God's hand. It's like that "I spy" game. It may be hard at first, but you get pro at it the longer you practice it...
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