We’re talking about Satan-inspired storms here.
Remember? Satan hopes to benefit in some way by bringing trials and tribulations into our lives.
Satan had the nerve to tempt Jesus Christ Himself! Though Satan knew who Jesus was … what His purpose was … Satan still brought Christ a storm of temptation just as Jesus was preparing to enter His early Ministry.
Satan comes to Jesus and his first temptation was to satisfy his 40-days of fasting by changing the stones into bread. Jesus reminded Satan what the Scripture says, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.'”
The next temptation was to show Christ all the kingdoms of this world … and then to say, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me,”… this one is interesting because actually Satan has been made the “prince and the power of the air”… but all he wanted in exchange was for Jesus to worship him … and of course Jesus reminded Satan … “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
Satan’s last storm of temptation was to dare Christ to prove Himself. Satan says, “If you are the Son of God,”Satan KNEW Jesus was the Son of God … then Satan tries to quote a little Scripture, “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully”(Psalm 81:12) … but Jesus rebuked Satan saying “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
The Scriptures say nothing about Satan being unhappy about his failure to tempt Christ. I do find it interesting what it does say following these events …
“When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.”
Satan is always watching for an “opportune time”to confront us with a storm.
It could be that you walk through a period in your life where things are really going great … no financial problems … no relationship problems … car’s (or Jeep’s) running well … but during this “good time”… you take your eyes off of Christ and your relationship with him … beware … that’s “an opportune time.”
I believe Jesus bore the temptations and storms of Satan virtually every day in His earthly ministry … I believe it is correct to say that Satan stalked Jesus … walked with the multitudes … stirred them up … gave them false understandings and brought doubts to the minds of those Jesus sought to teach the TRUTH. Just looking for “an opportune time”to strike again … but Satan always loses.
Satan’s storms in your life are the result of his lies. You get a thought in your mind … a question perhaps … a doubt perhaps … Satan sees this as “an opportune time”to tempt you to not trust God or any of the promises of Christ … to try to solve some little glitch in your life by yourself … rather than relying on Christ to see us through our little difficulty.
This world is damaged … sin has brought a curse upon the earth and ultimately God will destroy this earth by FIRE and create a new Heaven and a new Earth … an earth that no longer suffers from the curse of sin and death.
Satan stalks you and me, too. Patiently, incessantly, invisibly … silently … watching, watching … watching us … seeking “an opportune time”to bring some temptation into our hearts and minds that will accelerate the winds of the storm … and how Satan hopes that you and I will fault God in some way … and that will make Satan happy.
Think of Peter. Remember the Last Supper?
