Life Capsule for Today Date 12th February 2025
Theme: Appreciating wilderness experiences (4)
Memory Verse: Isa 43:2 When you go through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not go over you: when you go through the fire, you will not be burned; and the flame will have no power over you.
Topic: The devil suggesting alternatives to Us (A)
Today’s Reading: Mat 4:2-4
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Words of the Ministry:
We have learnt that the wilderness experience is common to all, comes with a lot of pain and sufferings and is not easily understood by many of us. It is a time when many question God and the immature saints seek alternatives to God’s dealings. Today we would be looking at the first kind of temptation that happens to the saints while in the wilderness and that is the Lust of the eyes. I like to remind us that the God’s goal during our wilderness experience is to refine us through the fire, it is to conform us to the image of his son and most times after that season is over, we then realize that our faith had much more strength that we thought. While that is happening, the devil on the other hand wants to take advantage by making us sin just as he did in the case of Jesus, and the first kind of temptation is the lust of the eyes.
The temptation of the lust of the eyes is concerning the good things of life that we see, we need and makes life easier. To better appreciate the temptation to turn stone to bread, we must look at it from the reality that Jesus was actually hungry after 40 days, what he needed the most was food and having fasted for 40 days, he had enormous power, he could actually turn stone to bread. As we relate that to our situation, we see that the temptation that comes to us arises from our very needs. The devil then comes dangling the alternative provision that isn’t God’s will to us. For Jesus all he needed to do was be patient till he got out of the wilderness to eat but the devil suggested an immediate miracle which was an indication of impatience and misuse of power. The temptation was targeted against who he was as a son of God. To a family man having financial challenges, the devil dangles an opportunity to make fast cash by changing figures, telling lies, engaging in some acts of compromise. To an unemployed lady, the devil could come with a temptation of a sugar daddy, a job through immorality etc. To a preacher, he may suggest fake testimony or even occultic power. What is common to all is the devil wants us to misuse our grace, act in the flesh and eventually stain our testimony.
Dear saints, we must be careful of the tricks of Satan, we must not be tempted to misuse our authority or act in the flesh in order to satisfy our immediate need. The devil gives the impression that our problems are too big and if his option is not taken, the suffering would go out of control as there is no alternative left. We must carefully consider not only the offer but how it is to be gotten. The devil comes questioning the love of God and our sonship claims by comparing our situation to those around us, asking if we are the son of God why are we in need or suffering. He tries to ridicule the word and its promises. Ask yourself. Can you sincerely share the testimony with the saints, the extra income, increased sales, increased offerings, better accommodation, new Job, promotion, healing and so-called spiritual gift. Can you tell the saint exactly how you got it. Any provision that can’t lead to a testimony that glorifies God can’t be from God. We have to watch and pray; may the Lord grant us light.
Join us on the 23rd of February for Peniel Encounter by 4pm with the theme, Jesus Witnesses. It would be a evening of glory and power, come with family and friends, shalom.
Bible in one year: Numbers 1-2. For further fellowship send us an email on godmanvideos@gmail.comor visit our youtube channel: @godmanmedia. You can also interact with us by dropping your comments on our facebook page. Our physical meeting, Word feast comes up every Wednesday by 5pm and Prayer Gym every Saturday by 7am while PENIEL comes up once a month, every last Sunday of the month from 4pm to 6.30pm at Suite A10, Ahser Office Complex, beside Living Faith Church, Opposite Hassan Stores, Arab Road, Kubwa Abuja.