Holy Boldness

father’s provision which comes through His word.

But the temptation goes beyond just taking matters into one’s own hands or even the provocative insistence that Jesus prove himself. The real temptation was to reduce the meaning of man’s life to mere survival. God leads his children through the wilderness precisely to deliver them from such illusions. The point isn’t merely to survive but to discover something profound about who God is. The test was about relationship, not mere survival. To turn stones into bread to alleviate His own suffering would have been a negation of the entire trial and a denial of its purpose. God leads His sons into tests. It is not to destroy them but to approve, promote, empower, but mostly to draw them into a deeper understanding of Himself as well as of the meaning of life. Many of God’s people live shallow lives and do not have an experience of the power of God because they are so quick to relieve their discomfort by making provisions for themselves when God is seeking to get them to trust Him more deeply. But we must understand that God’s purpose is not simply to take care of us. It is to lead us into so much more and to remove the limits off our lives. “Man does not live by bread alone… man is not limited/ defined/ purposed by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Our self-life is quick to defend us from any unpleasantness. “God wouldn’t want me to suffer!” is an often-heard excuse for compromising one’s obedience. But the Lord is after something so much deeper and richer. The longer I walk with the Lord the more powerfully the truth of this word resonates inside of me. Every true believer faces this test at some point. No ministry that seeks to make an eternal impact can fail to pass this test. It is as fundamental to the ministry as anything you will ever face. Who do you trust to take care of you when you are at the end of your rope and do not know how to move forward? If you cannot confidently trust in the Lord then your ministry will not only be short-sighted but short-lived.

The Second Temptation: Jesus’ public reputation.

Matthew 4:5-6

(5) Then the devil took him (Jesus) to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

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