Fall Back

Those who hope to take advantage of us wait until we are most susceptible, when we are weakest.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.' But he answered, 'It is written, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."' - Matthew 4:1-4

In today's Gospel, the devil attempts to gain control over Jesus when he thinks Jesus is weakest, after forty days of fasting.

Fasting that long is extreme, and I doubt anyone could survive that long, but it makes the point clearly that Jesus would have been weak and possibly not in his right mind.

Yet, he resisted.

Chances are we would have given in long before, but it is not the length of time that is the point here. The message I get from this is to be doubly aware of making bad decisions when I am weakest.

It reminds me of the advice I am given after a procedure during which I had general anesthesia.  The doctor and nurses tell me to avoid making legal decisions and avoid driving.

I may not feel like I am incapable of using sound judgment, but the drug has a lingering effect and for hours afterward, I am weakened in my resolve.

So, the warning for all of us is to shift our center from us to God when we feel weakest.  Don't rely on our own judgment, but fall back on the Word of God.

It is good advice, since I admit that my decisions are not always the best, when viewed in hindsight.

God is our fall back position.  We don't have to be strong or smart or witty or wise.  We can be us, knowing He is the foundation on which we stand.

Good advice, I think.

More to come...