Trials and Temptations as Preparation

The 40 days of Lent are designed to mirror Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. Following after Jesus, we too must confront temptations and trials that may derail our commitment to God. 

From an Africa Study Bible application note: 

Christians are real people living real lives in a real world and often suffer loss, pain, or failure like everyone else. It could be a time of physical loss or season of spiritual dryness. How do we respond to trials and temptations? What is God doing when He allows us to suffer? 

Jesus also went through trials and temptations. All three of Satan’s temptations were to get Jesus to use His divine powers for selfish purposes (Luke 4:3). Jesus was tempted to use His power in a self-centred manner for physical gratification (1 John 2:16), to acquire material wealth and power (Luke 4:6-7), and third, and probably more common to people in public leadership, He was tempted to perform a dazzling feat to attract crowds of amazed and attentive onlookers (Luke 4:9-11). This is pride (1 John 2:15). Satan behaved as if everyone has a price. His temptations implied that this world is what matters most. Are these not the very temptations we face as Christians? 

In Romans 5:3-5, Paul wrote, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” All of us will face times in the wilderness of temptation, but Jesus showed us we can overcome. 

Today: 

In these first few days of Lent, what inner desires or external pressures have you noticed distracting you? Using a concordance or index or online tools, look up the words “temptation”, “trial”, or “test” and you will learn how people in the Bible withstood different trials and temptations.