Think of the string of surprises in store for Mary and Joseph:
1. An angel tells Mary she will have a virgin birth.
2. An angel tells Joseph the same.
3. Mary’s aunt prophecies over her, saying, among other things, that her child (John) jumped when she heard the voice of Mary.
4. Mary is forced to give birth in a dirty shelter on the road—it was the worst case scenario, but God allowed it. (She must have wondered why!)
5. Shepherds come reporting about the angels.
6. Wise men travel for two years to see the child.
6. An angel says, “Run to Egypt! Herod wants to kill your son!”
7. The angel appears a few years later and says go back to Israel.
8. On a trip to the temple, Jesus disappears for five days (where did he sleep? What did he eat?)
Nothing—NOTHING about this was easy. I bet Mary wanted to say, “Why can’t things ever be easy?” But God’s plan is NOT concerned with easy. Jesus was born into a world at war. He was like a secret weapon sent to defeat the enemy. Of course, Herod tried to kill him. Of course, life was hard for the whole family. But the rewards were also incredible.
Our lives can be hard too. We live in a world at war. God draws us one way, but the enemy works every day to draw us into confusion and sin. Confusion about God’s Word comes first, and sin is the result. See Eve.
Remember the hard questions the serpent asked Eve? “Did God really say that?”
Satan does not ask Jesus questions. He knows Jesus is well prepared, a master of God’s Word. Confusing questions will not deceive Him. But the devil does not give up. Instead he offers Jesus things that appeal to Him: bread, followers, and all the kingdoms of the earth. How does Jesus respond to temptations? By quoting scripture. So that is how we should respond. See Matthew 4:1-11.
Life is hard, and even an obedient life like Mary’s is full of surprises and crazy, unexpected challenges. But a strong knowledge of scripture—including a great deal of MEMORIZED scripture—will help you survive and thrive and evade the enemy’s tricks and traps.
Pray. Ask God to take the blinders away so you can see the tricks of the enemy and not fall for them.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 