Transforming Encounters: The 40-Day Challenge (Luke)Näide

You are preparing for an important conversation. All plans are going superbly. The project is ready, the calculations are made, the dynamics are optimal, and the presentation is perfect. Just one more conversation and everything will be over. Success is within reach. The painstaking hours and days of preparation are behind you, and just one more small step and it’ll be done.

The Devil goes into the desert to meet Jesus. Jesus, after his baptism, full of the Holy Spirit, and confirmed as the Son of God, spends forty days in the desert, and having not eaten, becomes hungry. The Devil tempts him for forty days, and the final meeting with Jesus is approaching. The preparation is done, the offer is on the table. Tempting and attractive, it is not something to be refused. Yet Jesus rejects all offers - remains faithful to his Father, and the mission intended for him. The Devil leaves him alone until the next opportunity.

Can the Devil spoil our plans? Can he undermine our mission? What do his offers look like for us today? Prioritizing the acquisition of material goods, building our own kingdom, and striving for spectacular experiences can prevent us from fulfilling our mission on this earth.

Does an encounter with Jesus establish steadfastness in our mission? Are we ready to worship Him only, serve Him only?

And let’s not forget, if we have successfully overcome one temptation, the Devil leaves us alone only until the next opportunity. Therefore, be vigilant!

Accept the possibility that the Devil will tempt you too, and therefore, like Jesus, rely on the power of God’s Word.