A Lenten Truth

During that time the devil came and said to [Jesus], “If You are the Son of God….”

- The devil, Matthew 4:3 (NLT)

"What God reveals to you in the light... You must believe in the dark!

- A Pastor

The last verse of Matthew 3 is the definitive words that God the Father declares over Jesus at His baptism...

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy.”

- Matthew 3:17 (NLT)

In no uncertain terms, God proclaims Who Jesus is -- He is the Son of God! And yet, in the very next verse, as the Spirit of God leads Jesus into the desert for 40 days where He will be tempted by the devil, notice the singular point of the enemy's attack:

During that time the devil came and said to [Jesus], “If you are the Son of God….”

- Matthew 4:3 (NLT)

The strategy the evil one used to try and unhinge and derail the life and mission of Jesus was what…?

To create doubt in the heart and mind of Jesus about Who HE is!

Jesus endured the temptation and experienced the power of His resurrection on Easter Sunday because of this truth: He believed in the dark (in the desert), who God revealed He was in the light (at His baptism)...that He was the Son of God!

Over the years, I've discovered that Lent -- this 40 day season of preparing ourselves to celebrate our Lord's Resurrection on Easter Sunday -- is often a season of personal temptation. It seems I encounter more resistance at every level of my life… especially as I draw close to Easter.

And the root of my struggle is often this: Who am I?

I mean… if I am a child of God… then why in the world am I going through this health crisis… or this relational heartbreak… or this financial reversal… or this personal battle? I need to remember -- in the dark, in the struggle, in the crisis -- who God said I was in the light.

Listen… if this Lenten season is a hard one for you… every morning declare the truth about who God says you are:

• I Am a child of God. I am forgiven. I am saved by grace through faith. I am protected from the hand of the enemy.
• I am a warrior in the army of God. I belong to the family of God. I have been taught by the Word of God, trained by the Spirit of God, tried by adversity and tested by fire.
• I am a new creation. Battles cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Death cannot destroy me.
• I am a Son… a Daughter… of God. I am delivered from the powers of darkness. I am kept in safety wherever I go.
• I am getting all of my needs met by Jesus. I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
• I am blessed with all spiritual blessings. I am an heir of eternal life. I am healed by His stripes. I am more than a conqueror.
• I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am a follower of Jesus Christ.

Friend… if you read this every morning through Lent -- for the next 40 days -- I've got to believe that it will make a huge difference in your life!

When you stop to consider who God says you are in the light, it will give you the strength… the confidence… the power… in the dark… to not only endure the temptation but to stand in the power of our Lord's resurrection on Easter Sunday!

AMEN.

Pastor Harry

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