When Not to Settle

We left a puzzle for you in a post this past week.  We asked where you'd find the following dramatic confrontation in the Bible.  We've added the answer now....

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." - Matthew 4:1-3

If you think poker players with big stacks know how to apply pressure, consider this case.  The devil dared Jesus to perform a miracle, to prove He was God's Son.  Would you have taken such a dare?  It may surprise you to learn Jesus did not:

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" - Matthew 4:4

The Lord could have taken Satan up on that offer -- but that would have meant obeying Satan.  Jesus quoted an Old Testament verse (Deuteronomy 8:3) to show we should depend on God.  And no one else.

The account in Matthew 4 goes on to show two more dares from the devil (verses 5-10) -- dares Jesus again resisted, by pointing to God.  "Serve him only," Jesus says at the end.

One way to serve God is by reading and following His word in print, the Bible.  Jesus showed the Scriptures provide wisdom for us to resist the devil's temptations.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.  To him belongs eternal praise. - Psalm 111:10

So bargaining for a "final table" settlement with Satan is downright dangerous.  But can a human reach a settlement with God?  A passage in Genesis indicates it's possible....

The Lord said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."  Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty?  Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" - Genesis 18:24-25

Long before Donald Trump was born, Abraham knew "the art of the deal."  God was ready to wipe out Sodom completely -- but if you read the entire chapter, you'll find Abraham convinced God to lower the threshold for mercy to only ten people.  (Sadly, chapter 19 reveals there weren't even that many.)

If you dare to negotiate with God about something in your life, we'd note a couple of things.  God's laws are set and always should be respected:

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse -- the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God.... - Deuteronomy 11:26-28

Be careful as well to negotiate with God in prayer-filled humility.  Don't make demands (God is bigger than you, after all).  And be open for God's answers by searching the Bible on issues in your life.

A settlement on prize money at a poker table can end with several people satisfied -- perhaps even players who weren't expecting to make the money in the first place.  Negotiate with God in a spirit of giving, and leave room for Him to spread His riches around.

P.S. We discovered in the last few days our settings for blog comments were set so high that many readers may not be able to respond.  We've adjusted that now; please use our comments section respectfully.