“The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.  For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:9-12)

     Last but not least of the temptations the devil had for Jesus was asking him to test God, to run a very unnecessary risk in order to prove God’s favor.  Once again, Jesus could quote scripture (in a more appropriate and concise way than the devil) and used it to shut down the devils’ proposal.

     It is certainly not necessary to test God.  He has already proved his love and faithfulness toward us when we invited him into our lives.  Instead of testing God, we must know that our faith is rooted in our belief that God loves, values, accepts, and empowers us through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  Reminding ourselves of this will help to carry us through our challenges and difficulties.  This includes the ability to have victory over temptation.

Prayer: Dear Lord, you give us all we need, and we cannot deny the love you have for us.  Help us to remember that you will never leave us or forsake us, because you have been and always will be faithful to us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.