Day 2: Strength from Above
Reading for Today
Luke 4:1-4 (NLT) Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’”
It’s day two of the fast and hopefully you’re still excited but now let’s get prepared for the effects of fasting to kick in any moment now. If you’ve fasted before or if this happens to be your first time fasting, know there is a way to handle those temptations when the flesh begins to grow fatigued.
An important part of fasting is Bible Reading. In order for fasting to be effective, you must replace your excluded items with the Word of God. This teaches us that the source of our strength does not come from external things like food or social media, but from God alone. I don’t know about you, but I often find myself in need of strength. Not strength for a workout, but strength to believe. Strength to keep going. Strength to love. Strength to hold my tongue. You name it, I need strength for it.
Jesus’ experience teaches us what it is like to depend on the Word of God for strength. Being led into the wilderness, full of the Holy Spirit, He was tempted by Satan for 40 days. During this temptation Satan seemed to have great hopes to convince Jesus to find strength in Himself and His own ability, but Jesus didn’t fall for it. He responded,
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’” [vs. 4]
And this is how you will be able to remain strong when you are tempted. We, too, have to know just like Jesus did that it is God alone who sustains us.
Like Jesus, you will face the temptation to depend on yourself more than you depend on God. When we choose to depend on self, we can make the mistake of getting ahead of God and walking into the very things He would lead us to avoid.
So how do we combat this basic nature of self-sufficiency? We lean on the Word of God. Fasting is the perfect opportunity to recalibrate your mind and spirit so that you see the amazing benefits of a deep, personal relationship with God.