March  17                                      Num 11 - 14

TEMPTING GOD

MEMORISE: ‘Jesus said unto him, “It is written again, THOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD.” (Matt 4:7).
READ: Psalm 19: 12- 14

‘Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING THEE: and IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR THEE UP, LEST AT ANY TIM THOU DASH THY FOOT AGAINST A STONE’ (Matthew 4: 5-6).

Satan knows the Word of God more than most of us. But his knowledge is used in misinterpreting and misapplying the Scriptures with a view to deceiving the unwary. Satan quoted that passage from Psalm 91: 11- 12 and twisted it. That is simply presumptious and foolish. The deceiver asked Jesus to jump so as to announce himself dramatically at the temple. But when he jumped, he would die in the process and then Satan would go before God to accuse Jesus of putting God to the test.

‘Jesus said unto him, “It is written again, THOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD”’ (Matt 4: 7). I heard of a self-proclaimed prophet who went into the Lion’s den in a zoo in Nigeria to re-enact Daniel saga. He got in but never lived to tell the rest of the story. That was not faith but foolishness. When you act in faith, God is with you, but when you act in foolishness and presumption, you are on your own.

“They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover’ (Mark 16:18).

That the Lord has given these promises does not means he wants us to test him. If you quote this scripture and use it as a basis for going to pick up snakes, you have fallen into the deception of Satan. Also be reminded of another scripture that says: “Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment…’ (Eccles 10:11).

If you are given poisoned food and you are ignorant of it, when you bless it God has the power to convert the poison into vitamins. But if you know it is poisoned and eat it anyway, you are being presumptuous: you are on your own. Grow up! Stop tempting God from today.

ACTION POINT
Identify ten differences between an act of faith and an act of foolishness
Clue: faith glorifies God; foolishness glorifies Satan.