Scripture:
“For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, ‘They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they’re yours.’ Jesus’ refusal was curt: ‘Beat it, Satan!’ He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness.’ The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs.” Matthew 4:8-11
Perspective:
The people we listen to influence our thinking. If someone says “Way to Go!,” we usually think positively about our accomplishment. On the other hand, if someone discourages us, then it can negatively influence our feelings, motivation, and perspective. The voices we allow into our life will ultimately impact us.
The voice of temptation came to Jesus in the wilderness. He had been out in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. Then, immediately, the enemy came to tempt him. But Jesus’ response was always the same. Instead of bowing to the temptation, he stands up against it through the power of the Word of God. The external voice of Satan could not take root in his mind, because his mind was already consumed by God’s Word. In our world, there seem to be temptations at every turn. Many times, our response is to eliminate all temptation by throwing away our questionable music or limiting our time with certain friends. The problem, though, is that we never take time to put something different in the place of our temptations. We throw out the questionable music, but we still like music. So, we are pulled back to listening to the same stuff as before. Jesus understood that it is God who empowers us to overcome temptation through the Word of God. So, instead of just getting rid of the bad, what if we put something good in its place? What if we listen to music that exalts God? Finally, what if we allow God’s voice to be so much stronger in our minds by putting His Word in our hearts? As we put God’s Word into our hearts and minds, the moment we face temptation, we will be prepared to stand against it.
