Good morning!
Welcome to your morning coffee! May our Heavenly Father invite us again and again to eat of his word to us, the Bible. Father your word to us is better than bread! Your word sustains our inner being. May we daily delight in eating of your sustaining word. May our intimacy with your word prepare us to face the temptations arising out of our broken flesh as we live in a broken world. Father, in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Spirit, call out to us to daily form our very thoughts to the pattern of your word, the Bible. May the thoroughness of our obedience to your will be sustained by our deep knowledge of your word.
Your Morning Song: "Christ Is Risen" by Phil Wickham
Your Morning Scripture: Matthew 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
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Descriptive. Prescriptive.
Perhaps we've discussed this before, but let's revisit these terms. They are such a deeply practical help when it comes to reading the Bible.
When the Bible is written to be descriptive, then you are simply reading about what happened and not being expected to imitate what you're reading about.
When the Bible is written to be prescriptive, then you are expected to imitate what you're reading.
When you're reading about Jesus's temptation by Satan in the desert, which of the two words is the best label here? Descriptive? Prescriptive? Pick one of the words and see if you can articulate why to yourself before continuing...
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These verses are prescriptive. And they are a hugely helpful, encouraging tool for us as believers who daily face temptation.
Jesus's response to temptation, to Satan, is not to act out of his authority as the Son of God. No, he instead refers to scripture as his defense. And so should we when we are faced with temptation of any kind.
Are you ready to face temptation? Do you know God's word well enough to respond at the spur of the moment? What is the best way to prepare to use the Bible in this way?
The answer is in Jesus's first answer to Satan when he tempted him with food. "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Is the Bible simply a manual for life to be used in emergencies? A helpful compilation of good advice? Or is it more sustaining than actual food? Does it feed your inner being? Does it bind itself up into your bones? Do you daily eat of God's word? Are you more likely to miss a meal or your daily time in the Bible?
Are you ready to face temptation?
The commonness of temptation is that all must face it. The uncommonness comes from how we respond to it. Let us follow in the footsteps of our savior. May we be a people who daily eat the Bible. Church, may we be ready.
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