Surely, Certainly, Without a Doubt

Every other Monday night, I attend a Bible study with other local young adults. I'm really thankful for it. We just finished up a series on Jesus as the Perfect Leadership model. You can check out the lessons HERE. if you're interested.

One of the things that came up this past week at Bible Study was Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. This was also mentioned in the message I heard at HOME's Ignite service two days before, so I felt like God was highlighting this for me.

So get this--out of all the ways that Satan chooses to tempt Jesus, he thinks an attack on His identity is His best route to take. Two out of the three times, Satan says "If you are the Son of God...? In other words, he's asking Jesus if He's sure of who He is. If you really think about that, doesn't that seem like a ridiculous thing to try to make Jesus question? But we all know how crafty Satan can be, so if he really thought that was the best tactic, then what's to say that Satan won't also try the same on us?

Take a moment to think about how many times Satan makes you forget the heart-knowledge you have of your identity as a dearly beloved, holy, child of God. Sure, we know that in our heads but our heart is really what drives what we do & how we live. If we truly, fully believed our identity, I think it's safe to say that a lot of our lifestyles and every day choices would be quite different. I know mine would!

So in Bible study we talked about that a little and then took it a step further to say that Satan's overall tactic is to make you question if God really said that--whatever "that" may be. Think about Satan's first encounter with Eve in the Garden of Eden. He says "Did God really say you can't eat that fruit?" I can just think of how often Satan inserts that question in my mind AND heart!

"Did God really say that He has good and perfect plans for you?"
"Did God really say that He'll work all things together for the good of those who love Him?"
"Did God really say that you can come to His throne confidently & with boldness?"
"Did God really say that you are saved and made righteous by grace alone; that nothing you do will change anything of how He sees you?"
"Did God really say that He cares deeply for you and wants you to cast every care on Him?"
"Did God really say that He's proud of you no matter what & really delights in your heart?"
"Did God really say that His thoughts about you are precious and the sum of them is vast?"
"Did God really say that [insert sin] is really a sin?"
"Did God really say that He wants you to give up everything and follow Him?"

I could go on and on! But I think you get the picture. This is where I decided that my stubborn strong-willed tendency comes in handy. I can take that negative nature of mine and use it for good against Satan. When Jesus was tempted, He immediately put down each of Satan's attacks with Scripture--nothing else. It's not called the Sword for nothing! This is the one piece of our spiritual armor that is used for offense. Take advantage of this gift we have to stubbornly fight against every question Satan tries to throw our way!

And to put a bookend on the "highlighting" of this topic this past week, yesterday I read the following in the book Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning: "Tangible reassurances, however valuable they may be, cannot create trust, sustain it, or guarantee any certainty of its presence...When the craving for reassurances is stifled, trust happens."

I don't know about you, but as for me & Brennan Manning--we long to be reassured. My love language is definitely words of affirmation--I love to be assured & reassured that people (and, most of all, God) appreciate & understand me. But I also agree with Manning that those reassurances, no matter how consoling they may be for the moment, do not build trust--in the people in my life or in God. It's the times when I am questioning if I really am appreciated, if God really notices me or has plans for me, you name it!--that I need to stubbornly get past those questions and use my Sword to say "Yes!"--that's when trust is built. That's when it has nothing to do with my wishy-washy feelings but with the firm confidence that God is faithful, unchanging, full of truth and never goes back on His word.

And then when I read verses throughout Isaiah like 14:24 that say "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen," I can know without a doubt, that it will happen. God has proven to me in my personal experiences that He certainly fulfills every promise. In return, I can surely trust that each promise in Isaiah, and the rest of the Bible, is no different.

No matter what happens in the end times. No matter how much more broken the world becomes. No matter what world leaders do. No matter how confusing His actions--or lack of actions--may appear at the time--I know that I will be able to say "Surely, Jesus will come back. Certainly, He will bring justice. Without a doubt, He has perfect plans. I don't need anymore reassurances. I really, really trust Him."