First Sunday in Lent - Spiritual Discipline
Goes along with Kids Devotion of the same title.
We do not have to give in to temptation. Jesus shows us the way.
Read Matthew 4:1-11.
Bible Focus: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” -Matthew 4:1-2
Immediately before today’s reading was the baptism of Jesus. The heavens were opened! The Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove! The Father’s voice declared Jesus to be his Son, with whom he was well pleased!
Then, Jesus went out into the wilderness alone to fast for 40 days and 40 nights.
An odd turn of events, don’t you think? We might have expected Jesus to emerge from the waters of the Jordan River and immediately start preaching and performing miracles, but he didn’t. He fasted in complete isolation.
The basic premise of fasting is not to give your fleshly desires what they want. Jesus was about to embark on the most difficult journey any human had ever undertaken. He would, no doubt, be tempted to give his fleshly desires what they wanted. Certainly in this passage, when the devil tempted him with nourishment, security, and power, Jesus had to deny his human nature in order to honor God.
In this context, fasting made perfect sense. He fasted in secret, practicing the spiritual discipline of denying himself for God’s sake, so that he would be ready for his earthly ministry. And indeed, right after he returned from the wilderness, he began to preach and call disciples. He was ready.
We are tempted to give in to our fleshly desires in the same way Jesus was. It probably doesn’t make sense for us to go into the wilderness to fast for over a month, but that doesn’t mean we can’t follow Christ’s example. Many Christians choose to fast, or give something up, for Lent. Although not required by Scripture, this can be a useful spiritual discipline for us to practice denying ourselves to honor God.
Temptations are everywhere. We will not always be able to deny them, and when that happens, we confess our sin and receive forgiveness. However, practice makes progress, and the more we discipline ourselves, the better we become by the grace of God.
Your challenge this week:
Consider giving something up for Lent. Before deciding, make sure that abstaining from it will help you honor God.
Please pray:
Dear Jesus, I praise you for your perfect response to the devil’s temptations. I confess that I am not perfect in denying my human nature to honor God. Thank you for your continued grace and mercy for my sake. I ask that you would help me progress in spiritual discipline. In Your name I pray, Amen.
