October 7, 2024 Devo

October 7th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
The Temptation of Jesus (Luke 4:1-14)
“Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power.” – Luke 4:14 (NLT)
“Trials Will Make You or Break You”

This past weekend, I had the privilege of preaching in Hickory, North Carolina. It’s their state Church of God convention and General Assembly. Of course, as all of you are aware, North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. The death toll and damage done is overwhelming. Rescue and recovery is still underway. Rebuilding will take years.
Tests and trials like this never leave you the same. It changes your perspective of life, and it impacts your walk of faith. Some people get mad at God when things like this happen. In their pain they pull away, stop going to church, and pull into a cave of anger, sorrow, and self-pity. Some walk away from their faith in God altogether.
But others respond differently. They lean into God more fully than they ever have before. They pray more, worship more, and cling to Him more. They seize moments like this to let God make them His hands and feet as they give aid to those in need. Instead of feeling abandoned by God, they see Him working all around them giving hope, help, and healing. Some people walk away with just a tragedy. Others walk away with a testimony.
Look at what our passage says about Jesus and how He responded to His time in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. “Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power.” Jesus got through His intense trial by clinging to His Father and standing on the promises of God’s Word. He leaned in and didn’t pull away. Because He drew closer to His Father, He came out more full of the power of the Holy Spirit than ever before. There, in the wilderness, He exercised the muscles of His faith. And He came out stronger as a result.
Trials will make you or break you. You can curse them, or you can embrace them. You can stand on God’s Word, or you can sink in despair. You can run to God, or you can run from Him. You can face it and fight through it, or you can let it run you over. One thing is for sure. Trials, tests, and temptations will never leave you the same. Just ask the people in North Carolina. That’s God’s Word for you today.