THANKFUL

Monday, June 17, 2019

Good morning, Jesus.

Lord, many of us grew up singing the old gospel hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” After a few hundred repetitions of that great hymn, we paid little attention to the words. Instead, our minds wandered as to what’s for lunch or who the Cowboys are playing. Now, Lord, the words have an impact on our spiritual life. “All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”

Lord Jesus, You experienced everything temptation we face when You spent those forty days alone in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1–11). He hit You with everything in his bag, trying to get You sin. He offered everything from fame to wealth to power to unlimited fleshly desires to anything our humanity could imagine–physical, emotional, spiritual– yet You did not fall to his temptation. The fact You resisted these temptations using Your humanity and the power of the Scriptures leaves us speechless. The devil figured if he could get You to revert to Your divinity to resist him, then he would have won! The devil would brag, See, no human can resist me! It can’t be done. Jesus even had to revert to His divinity to resist me! But because You, Jesus, overcame temptations in Your humanity, we who have placed our faith in You have Your Spirit living in us to overcome these same temptations. We have no greater friend than You, Jesus. You understand us, because You experienced every temptation and trial we experience. So, when we come to You in prayer, You assure us My child, I’ve been there, done that, won that! Trust Me (Hebrews 4:15).

May we always make You our Best Friend Forever, Jesus. Amen.