Do you like to be fooled? Do you do your best to avoid being made a fool? If you are going to a job interview, do you research the company and position to prepare yourself to answer questions? Are you applying that process to other aspects of your life?
May I be so bold as to say we do not like being made a fool? We don’t like looking foolish in front of others. If we are seeking a job promotion, we will not only work hard but will seek to learn the position we are striving to achieve. Yet, we do not always do that in all aspects of our lives.
Satan likes to make fools of us. He even tried to make a fool of Jesus. Notice there are three sentences in today’s passage. In Luke chapter 4, Jesus has been in the wilderness for forty days fasting. He is physically weak. Satan comes to tempt Him. In Satan’s final temptation, he quotes Scripture—specifically Psalm 91:11-12. However, he doesn’t quote verse 13.
Jesus knows Scripture. He knows verse 13. Yet, Jesus doesn’t quote verse 13. Instead, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:16. Both Jesus and Satan know that verse 13 is the promise that that God’s people will overcome Satan because God will deliver them out of Satan’s hands. But so many of us fall for Satan’s schemes. Why? We don’t know Scripture as thoroughly as we should.
There are many in this world who will search the Scriptures to find a passage they can twist to mean what they want it to mean. They will use it to trip us up. How do we combat their approach? We must know Scripture more thoroughly. We must understand the context of passages. We need to understand God’s larger plan and see the larger picture to properly interpret Scripture and respond to those who attempt to make fools of us.
I pray we all know that Satan seeks to trip us up. I pray we spend time studying Scripture. I pray each one of us see the larger picture and interpret Scripture properly to combat Satan’s schemes. Study Scripture. Understand God’s plan. See the larger Scripture. Combat Satan’s schemes.
Psalm 91:11-13
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Marty Pressey 