Matthew 4:1-11 KJV 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 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 time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

How many of us are willing to fast like Jesus. Take notice that the Spirit led Jesus in the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Are we lead by God into temptation. Sometimes we are lead on a road that might have a few stumbling stones in the pathway. God wants to use those stumbling stone as a test. He fast forty days. and forty nights. Some people fast only certain hours, that not fast like Christ. When forty days expired he was hungry. Now anyone fasting in the Spirit or ever have fasted in the Spirit, the truth is hunger is not present til time to eat. Ability to fast for any length of time in the Spirit is an awesome experience, but one must remember if not called to fast for a time, consider not doing so. If called to fast, God enables. Must be in tuned to faced with God's Spirit. Is there medical reason not to fast, beware of physical needs and know God knows too. Jesus is God, but also one must know that He had ability human's did not. He had authority man only dreams of having. He has power to overcome Satan already in place, this fasting for our benefit as well as a demonstration of resisting temptation during time of weakness. Jesus would of been physically bodily weak. We know that Christ in the flesh faced human fralities. He faced torment to the cross and the pain of the cross. He felt sorrow and had emotion like us. His human body was destructible. The first temptation that Christ went through was devil tempting him to turn the rocks into bread if he was Son of God. Now Christ ability he could of done so. Moses hit the rock twice and water poured out, and he was only prophet. Jesus told the devil that man did not live on bread alone but every word of God. Fact is we live on bread of the word of God we learn to obedience to God is imporant. if we dine on the word of God, the word of God substains us beyond human ability. There is power in the word of God. We sing there is power in blood from old hymn, only to learn there is also power in the word. We must begin to look at the power of God's word as being beyond human capabilities, human reasoning, and human power. Are failing to see God's power in his word, is failing to see the power of his ability to create, save, and to judge. Our failing to see God's ability to pull the plug and ability to supercede human rationality. Human reasoning often causes our failures in faith. If we trust God's word enough we will see the power of God do extreme things in our life. Moses life alone was extraordinary because of faith. Yet God established that faith in Moses with the burning bush that did not burn up. Fasting was more important then the relief through temptation. It like if I said one little bite of chocolate will take away the need for chocolate, next thing I know that whole chocolate bar is gone. The conversation Christ was having with His Father was more important then the temptation Satan laid before him. The time of mediation was more important then fuel for the belly. Had the growling noise of Jesus stomache irritated Satan? Why was Satan present at the fasting of Christ. Those stumbling stones are present on the pathway towards God. Jesus was told never to obey Satan. We should never obey Satan. Jesus was there on earth to do the will of God and not perform miracles for the devil. Satan word had no power to control Jesus. Jesus had no desire to follow Satan instruction, only the instructions of God The second temptation Jesus went through was to jump off the top of the temple. That God would protect him if he did. The devil wanted Jesus to lay his life down in obedience to Him, and he give his leadership over to him. Yet Christ came to lay his life down for you and me. Not in obedience to us but obedience to God the Father. Obey God to point of going to the cross. Christ kingdom would be in heaven and on earth. The authority given to Christ by God the Father. The power Satan has is not for him to give away to anyone He desires too. He could not give Jesus something that was already His. Satan can not give you salvation if it is already yours. Moses found salvation when he hit the rock twice. Water still sprung forth. The word says do not tempt the Lord your God. Moses tempted God when he hit the rock twice, when he was instructed to hit it once, that is why he was not going into the promise land. Despite all the miracles Moses did through the power of God enabling him, he had to learn he was not in control. The point being the devil was still asking Jesus to obey him. Jesus test had to do with who did He obey. Then with the third temptation of the devil he makes it clear he wants Jesus to worship him. He would give all the kingdom he had rule over to Jesus. Just because the Lord gives the devil certain authority does not mean he is in control. Jesus power was over all the earth. He is after all the Lord. The power the devil offered Jesus was not power he could give away. Satan was asking Jesus to break the first commandment not to worship God only. Jesus would obey his Father even unto death, by doing so he was resurrected, he obeyed His Father. Teaching us to worship His Father alone, and to honor him despite the temptation not too. Daniel went through such a test of obedience only to find himself being thrown in a lions den, with the mouths of lions shut from eating him. His obedience was the same as Shadrach, Meshrach and Abednego who faced the fiery furnace. They were discoved not to be alone but the fourth man/Christ being seen in the fire with them. The first trial of faith is who will we obey. The temptation of the devil or the word of God. The second temption are we going to tempt God with our desires and wants enough to obey the devil and third temptation are we going to bow to the devil. Hopefully the answer is no that you will not bow to the devil. Dear Heavenly Father, you know our needs and wants. You know our weakness, help us to serve you alone and not to allow tempation of the enemy to get the best of us, when it comes to obeying you. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study for Devotion:Exodus 20:3-4 KJV 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: http://www.turtle30cshell.com