The other day I was riding down the interstate and I was flipping channels on Sirius XM Radio. My husband had driven the car the night before and had it on Kirk Franklin's Praise 64 station. I was trying to find my original setting, which was on the Joel Osteen station. Since I have been on a fast for the last two weeks, I only listen to those two stations in the car. I tried to flip it on Channel 120, but for some reason, it would skip from 119 to 121. I was furious because I thought the satellite provider had gotten rid of the station based upon my purchased package, which is really the rental car company's purchased package. My car has been in the auto repair shop for two months now.
I called my cousin and told her, "Girl, the devil is always busy. I'm just minding my own business, trying to get this encouraging word and the channel has been removed." After I hung up with her, I called my husband and gave him the same rant. He replied, "The Joel Osteen station is 128 not 120." I immediately burst out laughing. I had been fired up for no reason at all; it was just an operator error. And then I had to think about something else - the devil really tempted Jesus out in the wilderness, but the devil didn't make me eat all of those jelly beans and that full bowl of ice cream either; I just wanted them.
So, today, I encourage someone to take a deep breath and exhale. Yes, the enemy does come to steal, kill and destroy. Make no mistake about it! But it ain't always the devil's fault when things are in a state of confusion or when we fail to resist temptation...sometimes it's our own thinking and doing. We give that sucker way too much credit! But get behind me Satan anyhow!
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.’”[a]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.’”[b]
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”[b]
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”[c]
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,[d] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”[e]
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