Matthew 4
November 28, 2022
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (v1)
Before Jesus began His public ministry, He underwent a season of testing and tempting. And it was the Spirit who led Him (v1) into the wilderness. Whereas the first Adam failed the test against Satan in the Garden of Eden (with luscious food everywhere), Jesus passed the test against Satan in the wilderness, after not eating for forty days. And Jesus defeated him by reciting the Word of God (v4, 7, 10), which was His real food.
Father, you know the significance of this passage in my life. It gave me hope, during my Dark Night of the Soul, to see that it was Your Spirit who was the One leading Jesus into a time of testing before He began His public ministry. Looking back, I can see now how the Spirit was doing something similar in me, testing me, refining me, preparing me for public ministry. Even more preparatory for ministry than my seminary training was that season of testing. Though I couldn’t imagine saying this, then, today I thank You for leading me into, and seeing me through, that season in the wilderness.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
