My BFF

Satan Tempts Jesus
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘ In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” Luke 4:1-11 NKJV

The Lord reminded me of how passionate I am about situations that people go through, especially when I’ve been through the same circumstance before. And how Jesus has been tempted in every way, been through everything I could possibly go through and was without sin. He reiterated to me how passionate He is about my trials and tests, and how eager He is to help and save and protect me. Oh how He cares for me! It’s just too amazing to grasp how concerned and interested He is in my daily affairs! How He desires to know every detail of my life, even a splinter in my finger! David expresses his amazement in Psalm 139 which intricately lays out the depth of God’s love and concern for the tiniest details in our lives.

He waits on the other end of prayer like a compassionate best friend on the phone, anticipating every detail of my story, of my grief, of my sorrow, and all my bubbly joys. Oh how He rejoices with me on the other end as if it were Him. He is never jealous or trying to stifle my joy, but egging me on in anticipation of the outcome of my success in Him. So confident He is in Himself that He makes me think that I’m doing all this on my own. Then He patiently waits for me to stop and think and give Him the glory. He is the wind beneath my wings, the invisible energy radiating from the sun that gives me and everything around me life and vibrancy.

“12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:12-16 NKJV

This passage reveals that there is nothing hidden from the Lord, who is the Word. He knows my thoughts and my needs but He still enjoys communing with me in prayer. And when I’m going through, overwhelmed and in despair, He patiently listens with understanding; non-accusingly advises when I am in need. He knows when I am just venting but not looking for Him to fix anything with inaccurate assumptions. He knows all things and esp. all things about me. He is that friend that sticks closer than a brother. How baffling my human nature is because it is so easy for me to forget all this. Many times when things get rough, I run to another for consolation, attention, and direction when He is the first one that I should be running to since He knows me so well! Then after searching from person to person, I find myself bewildered, frustrated, and confused and mad that they don’t know me. Finally, I come to my senses and I am ashamed because I overlooked the One who is right there with me and knows me the best. He tenderly takes me in His arms and wraps me in His security blanket. I tell Him all my problems in addition to all the unnecessarily added frustration of going to man and not God. He quietly listens without interruption and guides me and leads me into the green pastures and beside still waters as He restores my soul because He is my Best Friend Forever.


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