Westside Church of Christ

We ride emotional rollercoasters. Some days we’re up and others we’re down. That is the common experience of humanity, often dictated by our situation. Do we assess our relationship with the Lord by how we feel? We don’t do that in our worldly relationships. We don’t slip in and out of our families on the basis of our state of mind. Feelings are no indicator of whether or not we are a child of God.

The day Jesus was baptized was a remarkable one. John and He briefly debated who should baptize whom. Jesus won, and the Baptist did as directed. The heavens opened and the Spirit descended like a dove as Jesus emerged from the water then the voice of God spoke, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased (Matthew 3:13-17).” Evidently, the evil one was eavesdropping. The challenge was not far away.

The devil immediately swung into action (Matthew 4:1-11). God the Son was led by the Spirit into the arena of conflict. It was hand-to-hand combat in the wilderness. The first attack came in the most basic of needs, food. A forty day fast surely left Jesus weak and vulnerable which is precisely where the first assault landed. It began with a challenge to the relationship which had been declared from above, “If you are the Son of God…” If? The implication? Your stomach shouldn’t be empty if that is true, should it?

Has that notion ever infiltrated our thinking? If I am a child of God, why am I going through this? I have this deep hunger that keeps gnawing at me. It is a fundamental need. Uncertainties cloud our thinking. We wonder if we are being punished. Am I really a child of God. I thought I was. I was baptized. Heaven was opened to me, wasn’t it? Have my sins been forgiven or not? Doubts descend and drag us down. Emotions hit rock bottom because of circumstances. Been there?

The devil punched Jesus right in the stomach then he took Him to the temple top and the mountaintop. He maneuvered the Son of God into multiple situations without success. The status of Jesus in relation to His Father never changed through it all. He didn’t take the bait. He never yielded to the evil one for food, the miraculous or a shortcut to global power. The serpent-sender still knows where to punch us, too.

Christians are children of God when their stomachs are growling and when they are full. The fleshly desires for something flashy or a quest for power will disappoint us and make us wonder. Doubt is in the arsenal of devilish weapons. It usually comes from situations and brings discouragement which yields a temptation to give up. Don’t. Circumstances and emotions do not determine whether or not we are a child of God. The Lord does, and He is never wrong.

Call to Praise: Psalm 146:1-10

His word on it: Psalm 146:1

Sermon: “Praise the Lord”