1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. (Deuteronomy 8:1 – 5, New International Version)
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Matthew 4:1 – 11, New International Version)
Theme: The Wisdom of Discipline
Title: Discipline in the Desert
Reflection:
In Scripture, the desert is often a place of physical and spiritual testing. Ecologically, the desert environment is harsh. Metaphorically, the desert tests our trust in God.
In our Scripture passages today, we observe two contrasting desert stories. In the first passage, the Children of Israel are reminded about their experience in the desert where they were tested for forty years. Unfortunately, the Israelites failed on multiple occasions. They grumbled about the supply of food (Exodus 16) and water (Exodus 17), longed for food from Egypt (Numbers 11), worshipped idols (Exodus 32), and failed to trust God in general (Numbers 14). The indiscipline of the Children of Israel was consistent with their inability to take God at His word.
In our second Scripture passage, Jesus was tested after 40 days and 40 nights of fasting. Unlike the Children of Israel, Jesus honors “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Jesus rebuffs the tempter with what “is written” in Scripture, even quoting directly from Deuteronomy.
Conclusion:
Jesus demonstrates that it is possible to be disciplined in the desert. Jesus is the perfect model for being victorious even under the harshest conditions. There is so much we can learn from Jesus in the desert. What stands out to you? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Contributor: Norman Christie
April 10, 2025 at 4:54 am
The scriptures that stand out for me : Matthew 4:4 about Man shall not live by bread alone…, Matthew 4: 7 -do not put the Lord into test…., Mathew 4:9 – the devil asked Jesus to worship him…., and Matthew 4:10 – away from me Satan, Jesus rebuked the devil.
These verses are profound and we need to ponder and learn from it. As human created by God, we don’t just live by bread alone, but we have to nourish ourselves with the word of God as well, in order to have a fruitful and blessed life. Spiritual life matters. Then, on verse 7, It is not good for us to challenge or doubt God’s power and love for us , if we do that it shows how shallow our faith is. It dishonors God if we put Him into test. The last two verses 9-10, very important that we know who protects and shields us, we should learn from the ways Jesus rebuked the devil. Most of all be strong in the Lord, rebuke Satan and he will flee from you. Pray without ceasing and be comforted by the Holy Spirt our helper at all times.
April 10, 2025 at 7:44 am
Jesus was the Word but His ready response with scripture stands out. In the garden man fell because of his lack of knowledge of God’s words to him. Adam allowed the serpent to lead him to sin by misquoting God. The serpent spoke untruths and word out of context. Adam, unlike Jesus in this passage, could not use the Words of God in this spiritual battle. So the take away is be prepared to battle with the Word and in context and alignment with God’s character.
April 10, 2025 at 8:28 am
We should keep in mind that God‘s Word reminds us that there is no situation we will be in that we’re not equipped to handle. Whether it is temptation, loss of a loved one, feelings of desperation, etc.
What stands out is Jesus also using the Word to throw at Satan. Jesus did what we are expected to do. The way he handled Satan’s temptation is a perfect example for us.
April 10, 2025 at 10:20 am
The story of Jesus in the desert teach us about our calling by highlighting the importance of spiritual preparation, discernment, and trust in God’s guidance during times of challenge and uncertainty. The story ultimately emphasizes that our vocation is a journey of following Christ and living a life of service as He did.
April 12, 2025 at 6:19 am
These are two powerful Scripture passages. The first passage reminds me of the need to be more disciplined, dependent and focused on the Lord. Also, it illustrates God’s amazing love and provision notwithstanding the indiscipline and ungratefulness of the Israelites. The second passage is a powerful reminder of Jesus’ perfect example of dependence, faithfulness and discipline. His 40 days and nights of fasting always amazes me and also reminds me of the importance and benefits of fasting in becoming more dependent and reliant on God.
April 13, 2025 at 12:06 pm
What struck me is that Jesus did not fret or complain during his 40 days of fasting in the desert. Isn’t it human to fret and complain when faced with adversity? This tells me that we have to avoid the inclination to fret and complain. I must say I have fallen into the trap of fretting and complaining when faced with difficulty. My mom often reminds me not to overdo it because “God does not like it.” What I am learning to do is to take my cares to the Lord in prayer and avoid venting with people. Venting is often recommended as form of “talk therapy” but these verses of scripture make me wonder if is it indeed therapeutic or is it a snare? I do not know the answer to that but I am very sure I should avoid fretting and complaining.