Thursday, March 26, 2015

How We Live

When Christ said to the tempter, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," He repeated the words that, more than fourteen hundred years before, He had spoken to Israel: "The Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness.  And He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord  doth man live."  Deuteronomy 8:2,3.  In the wilderness, when all means of sustenance failed, God sent His people manna from heaven; and a sufficient and constant supply was given.  This provision was to teach them that while they trusted in God and walked in His ways He would not forsake them.  The Savior now practiced the lesson He had taught to Israel.  By the word of God succor had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same word it would be given to Jesus.  He awaited God's time to bring relief.  He was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and He would not obtain food by following the suggestions of Satan.  In the presence of the witnessing universe, He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but y every word of God."  Often the follower of Christ is brought where he cannot serve God and carry forward his worldly enterprises.  Perhaps it appears that obedience to some plain requirement of God will cut off his means of support.  Satan would make him believe that he must sacrifice his conscientious convictions.  But the only thing in our world upon which we can rely is the word of God.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness' and all these thing shall be added unto you."  Matthew 6:33  Even in this life it is not for our good to depart from the will of our Father in heaven.  When we learn the power of His word, we shall not follow the suggestions of Satan in order to obtain food or to save our lives.  Our only questions will be, What is God's command?  and what His promise?  Knowing these, we shall obey the one and trust the other.

Of all the lessons to be learned from our Lord's first temptation none is more important than that bearing upon the control of appetite and passions.  In all ages, temptations appealing to the physical nature have been most in effectual in corrupting and degrading mankind.  Through intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental and moral powers God gave to man at a priceless endowment.  Thus it becomes impossible for men to appreciate things of eternal worth.  Through sensual indulgence, Satan seeks to blot from the soul every trace of likeness to God.

In our own strength it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of our fallen nature.  Through this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us.  Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being, to take advantage of hereditary weakness, and by his false insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God.  And by passing over the ground which man must travel our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome.  It is not His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with Satan.  He would not have us intimidated and discouraged by the assaults of the serpent.  "Be of good cheer," He says; "I have overcome the world."  John 16:33.

Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite look to the Savior in the wilderness of temptation.  See Him in His agony upon the cross, as He exclaimed, "I thirst,"  He has endured all that it is possible for us to bear.  His victory is ours.

(Satan is working full time to destroy us and we must know what God's will is in our life and we must trust His promises.  Read the scriptures to know His will and read the scriptures to know His promises.  It's all there for us if we will but read and believe what we read.  Let's live for God regardless of what our friends, relatives or whoever might try to influence us away from trusting God's word.  It is so important, it's a matter of life and death. To live for God is life.  Remember the texts Philippians 1:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24. Read these daily, they are promises for you as you struggle to let God lead in your life. Grandma Joan.)  Thoughts taken from Desire of Ages chapter 12.

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