“Tell these Stones to Become Bread”
Scripture Reading — Matthew 4:1-11
“The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Are you ever tempted to take advantage of a situation for your own benefit?
While Jesus was being tempted, he quoted from the Scriptures to show that we do not “live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (see Deuteronomy 8:3).
No matter which way people fell short in their lives, Jesus showed the perfect way. For example, even after the Israelites were well fed and satisfied, they became proud and forgot that it was God who had fed them. But Jesus—even when he was tempted to make bread out of stones—showed restraint and humility, and he explained that God’s Word is the ultimate food.
Moses had urged God’s people to remember how God rescued them from many precarious situations, and yet they soon forgot about God’s saving acts. But Jesus did not forget those lessons, and he refused to put God to the test. Why should he dishonor God by acting as if God should prove himself again and again?
Moses also warned the people not to think too highly of their wealth and power or to serve other gods, but they failed at that too. Jesus, however, would worship and serve no one but the one true God.
Jesus showed us how to obey and honor God. When we live by “every word that comes from the mouth of God,” we are more able to resist temptations.
Lord Jesus, you are perfect in all of your ways. Like you, may we trust God to guide us, rescue us, and provide for all of our needs. Amen.
About the author — Julia Prins Vanderveen
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