The Story of Good – Learning to Steward the Good Within.

Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights He was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up He was hungry. The Devil, playing on His hunger, gave the first test: “Since you’re God’s Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: “It takes more than bread to really live.” ~ Luke 4: 1-4 (TM)

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My child, let’s take a walk together,” Jesus said,

“Let me show you a few things.”

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I stood up and joined Him as He walked.

But He didn’t step away from the flame but right toward it!

As His right foot stepped into the fire,

My immediate response was to back away.

Jesus, sensing my fear, looked up.

He took my hand, looked straight ahead, and said,

“Let’s go.”

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I closed my eyes, allowing the Master to take me right into the fire.

I felt the intense heat all around me.

Yet rather than feeling excruciating pain,

I simply sensed a strange warmness both inside and out,

A peaceful knowing that everything was going to be fine.

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I opened my eyes slowly, not knowing what to expect.

We were standing in a desert with the sun blazing down upon us.

The warmth I had felt inside was now replaced,

By an intense heat emanating from the burning sand.

Jesus let go of my hand and had now walked ahead of me,

Standing by Himself, looking heavenward.

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It was hard to distinguish details with the sun glaring so brightly.

Over to my left, I saw a dark shadow moving toward Jesus.

As my eyes adjusted,

It seemed to be a man dressed in a long dark robe.

It was so sunny, I really couldn’t make out facial details,

But I did clearly see the person stepping in,

Closer and closer to Jesus.

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While I couldn’t see faces, I did hear, very clearly, the conversation.

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“Since you’re God’s Son,” the person said,

“Command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread.”

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Jesus turned, looking back over His shoulder,

He stared at me,

Wanting me to pay attention to what He was about to say.

Quoting Deuteronomy,

Jesus looked squarely into the eyes of the stranger,

He replied, “It takes more than bread to really live.”

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The stranger turned, looked directly at me, and then smiled.

He placed his left hand under his robe,

And suddenly lifted it skyward.

A cloud of dust suddenly blew up from the desert floor.

I felt the sting of sand across my face,

I shielded my eyes as the dust settled.

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Ponder on these things:

In what ways does the Enemy come to tempt you?

As you reflect upon past moments of temptation, are there any consistent themes that reoccur?

What feelings are evoked when you reflect on these past temptations?

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Over a period of about eight weeks (3 sessions per week), we will take you on a poetic journey (26-sessions) we call The Story of Good. We suggest you bookmark our blog series homepage to keep all the writings in one place for your future reference. Take note that each blog session begins with a short scripture reading. My suggestion is that you don’t hurry through, or skip the text, but treat it as a Lectio Divina reading where you slow down and sit a bit with God’s Word, allowing it to penetrate and influence you as you read. Each session also ends with a few thoughts to ponder on. I look forward to hearing some of your insight as we journey together!

Oh, and if you enjoy what you’re reading here, we encourage you to share this page and our website, The Contemplative Activist, with your friends! 

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