Temptation
91
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
Often the follower of Christ is brought where he cannot serve God
and carry forward his worldly enterprises. Perhaps it appears that
obedience to some plain requirement of God will cut off his means
of support. Satan would make him believe that he must sacrifice his
conscientious convictions. But the only thing in our world upon which
we can rely is the word of God. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33
. Even in this life it is not for our good to depart from
the will of our Father in heaven. When we learn the power of His
word, we shall not follow the suggestions of Satan in order to obtain
food or to save our lives. Our only questions will be, What is God’s
command? and what His promise? Knowing these, we shall obey the
one, and trust the other.
In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are
loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse
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to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden
to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death.
See
Revelation 13:11-17
. But to the obedient is given the promise,
“He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of
rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.”
Isaiah 33:16
.
By this promise the children of God will live. When the earth shall be
wasted with famine, they shall be fed. “They shall not be ashamed in
the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”
Psalm
37:19
. To that time of distress the prophet Habakkuk looked forward,
and his words express the faith of the church: “Although the fig tree
shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the
olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be
cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will
rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk
3:17, 18
.
Of all the lessons to be learned from our Lord’s first great temp-
tation none is more important than that bearing upon the control of
the appetites and passions. In all ages, temptations appealing to the
physical nature have been most effectual in corrupting and degrading
mankind. Through intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental
and moral powers that God gave to man as a priceless endowment.
Thus it becomes impossible for men to appreciate things of eternal