January 27, 2026

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be sorely tested by the devil. ” (Matthew 4.1)

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was sorely tested by the devil.” (Luke 4.1,2)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

When it comes to the story of “Jesus in the wilderness,” there is agreement between Matthew and Luke that it happened. The truth is that we are all tested. Jesus was no exception. We should not be deceived for one moment that Jesus did not understand how human He was. Nor should we be deceived into thinking that Satan did not understand how divine Jesus was. James, the brother of Jesus, wrote “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (James 2.19) The fact is that “knowledge alone” is not enough to fully understand the totality of who Jesus was, is and will always be. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I have to stop in my tracks even now as I say that and consider the truth of “what” Jesus was on earth was not in conflict with “who” He is in Heaven. Even the meaning of His flesh, being born of woman due to the breathing in of God’s Holy Spirit, was not in conflict with the doxa soma, the glory body, which Christ ascended to out of the grave and made known to His followers as well as ascended into heaven to sit again at the right hand of His Heavenly Father. Equally so, the meaning of His Spirit, being that of God the Father which surged fully in Him as He ruled under God’s command in Heaven, was not in conflict with the same rule on earth where submission to the task of redemption of His people was and will always be the most important act of love He could offer. In both those statements, as in the recognition of James shared with all believers, “knowing” was not enough to be the evidence of such faith which leads to salvation. No, it is “faith in action” that shows the true recognition that Jesus is Lord and Savior and we are the ones whom He has saved. It takes these actions as true works:

To confess our sinfulness to try and live without Him;

To profess aloud with the words of our mouths as in the meditations of our heart that He is the Christ, our Christ;

To love one another as we are bound in this one faith, one hope and one birth to build up the whole body of Christ, the Church;

To go into all the world to share the gospel as it was written and our own gospel as it was rewritten, to be so vital in our faith, trust and obedience that we seek the healing of others to the glory of God and grow the numbers of His community daily;

To join together in worship seated with one another as at a wedding banquet knowing such joy as when the world first began to see the Lamb and the Bride united forever;

To be so strong in the Word which even the demons know and see such fear and trembling that they depart because we are doing what they cannot… the good will and good work of God.

This is the truth of faith and works, flesh and spirit, God and humanity which the story of Jesus in the Wilderness of Sin represents. It is His declaration of such truth and of ours so that the Enemy will know we truly know who and what we are in Him! There can be only ONE!

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.