Saturated in Scripture

MORNING

Read Matthew 4:1-10

Devotion

In this Scripture, we find Jesus at both his weakest and strongest. He is physically weak after fasting for forty days, but He is spiritually powerful as He faces all that Satan can throw at Him. Satan tempts Jesus with ways to avoid His costly ministry and death – using miracles for His own benefit (4:3), showing off His power (4:6), and taking a shortcut to building His kingdom (4:9). Jesus parries each temptation with a quote from the Bible.He doesn’t try to defend Himself against Satan with His own thoughts or abilities. He intentionally goes back to God’s truth and quotes it to Satan. This tells us two things about Jesus.

First, Jesus was very familiar with Scripture. Like many Jewish men of His time, Jesus would have learned great slabs of Scripture off by heart, but I suspect Jesus went further than others. If at 12 years of age, He amazed the teachers in Jerusalem with his knowledge (Luke 2:47), imagine what He would have known and understood by the age of 30 as He commenced His public ministry. Jesus obviously was saturated with Scripture. His mind was full of God’s truth.

Second, Jesus relied on Scripture. This came out clearly when He was under temptation. As Satan tried to manipulate and break Him (even quoting Scripture back to Him), Jesus just focused on God’s revealed truth. He trusted and relied on God’s Word. The wilderness temptation was not just a battle of wills for Jesus. He had a whole body of truth that He believed in and held on to.

Jesus is the gold standard for us. If knowledge of and reliance on Scripture was so important and beneficial for the Son of God, it certainly is vital for us. Everyday disciples of Jesus must be saturated in Scripture.

Prayer

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” My path is often shadowy and difficult, and I desperately need a good torch, especially when Satan uses the darkness to attack. As I study Scripture, may Your Word shine powerfully, guiding me to truth, growing my wisdom, and protecting me from temptation. Please help me to know and love Your Word like Jesus, so that it saturates my life.

Today’s Bible Focus

“Jesus answered Satan, ‘It is written…’”

LUNCHTIME (or when you can make a moment during the day)

1. Meditate for a short time on today’s Bible Focus. Let it seep into your heart.

2. Look and see what is happening around you from God’s perspective and listen to see whether God is whispering anything to you.

3. Pray for any not-yet Christians God has placed on your heart.

EVENING

1. Remember: Repeat today’s Bible Focus.

2. Reflect: Reflect on the day and thank God for what He has said and done.

3. Repent: Check where you have neglected or disobeyed God during the day and ask for forgiveness and freedom.

4. Release: Name any concerns or fears on your mind and release them to Jesus.