Matthew 4:5-7
The Temptation of Jesus (Part 2)
Then
the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“ ‘He will command
his angels concerning you,’
and
“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest
you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
The first temptation was aimed at physical needs... especially hunger. The second temptation is based on trusting on God's protection. The devil tries to get Jesus to break his trust on the Heavenly Father and
to handle the issue himself. We fall prey to this when we put our trust in ourselves instead of trusting in the Lord. We are not to test God to see whether he will respond. We pray "Thy will be done," not "My will be done." So Jesus
does try to force God, but instead, to trust God.
I pray: O Lord, help me to always trust you and not to test you. Let me live for You and not for me. Amen.