Tempting God means challenging Him. This is deliberately and consciously defying Him and His revealed will contained in His Holy Law. In other words, tempting God is to make trial and experience of God, to prove whether He be true, just, merciful, provident, and powerful as His words say of Him to be. That was how the Israelites tempted God, as the Lord says; “when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works” (Ps. 95: 9). The root cause of this is an unbelieving heart, whereby a man doubts the truth of God’s word, having a distrustful heart towards God.
To trust God is to insist that He is trustworthy. Hard times seem to offer strong evidence that God is not on our side. We are tempted most often to relate to God with contempt, negligence and even hostility. If God wants me to trust Him, maybe He had better start by improving the way He directs the course of my life. When we are in trouble we often raise such opinion. The Israelites questioned when there was no water for them to drink. “Is the Lord among us, or not?” All that God had done in the past didn’t count; all that He has promised for the future didn’t count, what counted was the frightening present. God couldn’t be there, couldn’t really be that powerful and trustworthy, if He would bring them to a barren wilderness.
Each new difficulty caused Israel to question God’s power and goodness. They tested Him by making Him prove His faithfulness all over again. Years later, Moses looked back on that event and warned the people. “You shall not put the Lord to test, as you tempted Him at Massah”. This is the verse Jesus quoted when Satan tempted him in the wilderness. Sometimes in our lives, we could be faced with situations that will make us to question, “why has God brought me here?” Even Jesus Christ who was promised that He will rule over creation at the right hand of God by the Father; instead of being carried off to glory, was led by the spirit into the wilderness, where He faced great hunger and hardship. Imagine that!
As Christians, wilderness experience is necessary for us once in a while. It helps to strengthen our resolve to please God, our master no matter what happens to us in life. Wilderness experience shouldn’t be used as an occasion to question God’s trustworthiness. Does your experience right now seems like a wilderness? I’m sure you know that the devil wants to wreck your relationship with God? Never you allow him, make sure you fight gallantly like the soldier of Christ that you are; and will overcome the devil like your master Jesus did. The Lord will help us to overcome our enemies and triumph in our lives battles in Jesus Name.
PRAYER POINTS:
• Whatever the situation may be with me, Oh God My Father; grant me the grace never to doubt your ability to help me.
• Remove far from my heart, the tendencies to question you over any challenges.
CONFESSION:
No matter how strong the battles I face, I can never doubt your ability to save. For you are able and trustworthy God.
revmrsudenyi@hopealivechurch.