January 28, 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:

We live in a world where order is critical not when it seems to serve someone else’s best interest, but when it serves our own. Let us be honest with ourselves. We do not mind bending or breaking the rules when it serves our purpose or agenda. While I can list a number of areas in which this is true, let me speak of one that is germane to most of us- our driving habits. How often have we ignored (don’t look at others on the road around you and wag your tongue or finger) the expected “rules of the road.” You know the ones I mean. Like “yellow” means caution and be prepared to stop. When did it mean “hurry up before it turns red”? Or how about “red means stop but it actually was for us a fading yellow light which in our eyes was actually green and not because we are color blind”? Or how about “ignoring the use of a turn indicator because moving into the path of traffic in another lane was greater than those who already occupied it”? Trust me, I have been there, done that myself. These are reminders to me that there are reasons for the rules of driving to be followed. They are not simply control mechanisms by authority entities we never see used to make our lives miserable. They are alerts to each of us about the simple truth that “order is better than chaos.” We feel the burden of chaos far more often than the burden of order. We exert our own “order” because such rules do not define us in certain moments when chaos which we have caused (being late, distracted, frustrated, angry or even lazy) became far more important than the existence of such moments in the lives of those around us. Instead of practicing “peace,” we implement “better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” This would be especially true when forgiveness was a wave of the hand to those we have no intention of ever meeting or speaking with. Our “blessing” was a failed attempt to communicate the love of God and love others more than loving ourselves. How many of you are thinking at this moment, “Yeah, right, God bless you!”?

Of course, “in the beginning” there was nothing but chaos in the universe. With the intervention of God, order was put in place, or restored, and life began to be redeemed. I offer this vocabulary because nothing that exists existed without Jesus the Christ (John 1.1-3). This lends itself to the “new creation/new creature” we become upon our confession of sin/profession of faith/and baptism (both of water and the spirit.) It also informs us of the vitality of life which is known only through the creator and craftmanship of the Godhead. For the mighty ones of God to recognize Jesus who is the Christ as “the way, the truth and the life” by which we shall enter into the fullness of God’s kingdom and that being the “only” way, truth and life, it would then indicate and direct our daily decisions to model and testify to such existence. That existence is righteousness itself of which God is the author and Christ the bestower and the Holy Spirit the inspiration. It is with this in mind that my reflection is briefly directed to the “order” in which Satan is said to have “sorely tested” Jesus who was full of the Spirit of God.

In Matthew: food, power and sovereignty.

In Luke: food, food, sovereignty and power.

We might consider that this doesn’t matter and you would be correct in that the temptations remain the same regardless of the order. However, for both Matthew and Luke, the order is of utmost importance. The message it gives to their respective audiences and to succeeding generations of believers and investigators of the truth is dependent on the ordering of the temptations. Without such insight and detail, it could result in a presumed chaos within the scope of the “new creation/new creature” who is brought into being upon the profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ. In the comparison and contrast of the two gospel renderings, the central focus and the end result are critical to how the new believer will respond to their own temptations in the world. And we are all sorely tempted. Consider these two revelations for yourself and I will share my reflections on them over the next two days. Shalom.

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.