Staying Close
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”
Luke 4:1–4
God has the directions for your life so trust Him to guide you to where you need to be.
In the fall of the year, Linda, a young woman, was traveling alone up the rutted and rugged highway from Alberta to the Yukon. Linda didn't know you don't travel to Whitehorse alone in a rundown Honda Civic, so she set off where only four-wheel drives normally venture. The first evening she found a room in the mountains near a summit and asked for a 5 A.M. wakeup call so she could get an early start. She couldn't understand why the clerk looked surprised at that request, but as she awoke to early- morning fog shrouding the mountain tops, she understood. Not wanting to look foolish, she got up and went to breakfast. Two truckers invited Linda to join them, and since the place was so small, she felt obliged.
“Where are you headed?” one of the truckers asked. “Whitehorse.” “In that little Civic? No way! This pass is dangerous in weather like this.” “Well, I'm determined to try,” was Linda's gutsy, if not very informed, response. “Then I guess we're just going to have to hug you,” the trucker suggested. Linda drew back. “There's no way I'm going to let you touch me!” “Not like THAT!” the truckers chuckled. “We'll put one truck in front of you and one in the rear. In that way, we'll get you through the mountains.” All that foggy morning Linda followed the two red dots in front of her and had the reassurance of a big escort behind as they made their way safely through the mountains.
Linda was able to make her way safely through the treacherous conditions because she trusted the truckers and stayed close to them. During treacherous times in our lives as Christians, the only way we will be able to survive is by trusting the Lord and staying close to His Word.
In our verses today we see the devil tempting the Lord to break His fast. The Lord had set apart some time to pray and be with His Father, and the devil was trying to tempt Him. Notice Christ’s answer to the devil’s temptation: “It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:1–4). Jesus answered the devil with Scripture.
During difficult and trying times, it is always best to stay in God’s Word. As Christ said, our spiritual sustenance comes from spending time in His Word. We need that time alone with God each day to sustain us during trials.
Are you facing a trial today? Perhaps fog is hiding the path of life from you and you don’t know which way to go. God gives you the answer for trials—stay close to Him. Allow Him to guide you through the stormy path and trust His Word for comfort and guidance. God knows your path and has the directions for your life so trust Him to guide you to where you need to be.
To find out more about Pastor Paul Chappell visit his blog or follow him on twitter.
To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org.
Daily Bible Reading
Numbers 35-36 • Mark 10:1-31
