Day 4 // Be faith-filled, not God-testing

 Matthew 4: 5-7

“Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! … Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.”

Thought

Jesus has a perfect, faith-filled and obedient relationship to His heavenly Father.

However, he never abused His faith to pull off unnecessary stunts. Our faith is not to be used to test God. It is to be exercised with wisdom and obedience, in order to glorify God and to reflect His love to a lost world. Marry faith with wisdom within these ever-changing circumstances.

Action

Today, consider doing a “word study” on faith in the Bible, and learn how it is used by the Biblical writers. You can do a word study using both a hard copy Bible or on an app like YouVersion. Perhaps jot down some thoughts on what you understand faith to be and chat them through with a friend (in person or over the phone!).

Are you intentionally acting with wisdom over this period? Do not just consider the implications for yourself, but also those around you in the wider community.