David Yarbrogh
Matthew 4:3 (CSB)
Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
The theological definition of God's providence refers to the belief that God is actively involved in the world and its affairs, exercising His divine control and guidance over all creation.
When we live under the Kingdom authority rule of Jesus, God is always meticulously weaving and intertwining all the threads of everything and everybody together, crafting a beautiful narrative for those living in His Kingdom. God is all powerful, all knowing, and always present. He's involved in every detail of everyone's lives and tailors our lives with precision and eternal wisdom that is always looking out for our eternal well-being. From our perspective, we struggle to trust how God is weaving and intertwining everything together.
This temptation goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3. The story of Adam and Eve falling under the serpent's temptation is symbolic of all the temptations we face here and now. Eve was tempted to question the credibility of God's command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The promise was that Eve would become like God; the pretense was that God was holding out on her and that if she ate the fruit, things would be better. The temptation is always connected to what you want in the moment. The lie is that God's providence is not working; He's not active, and if you don't take control, things are not going to work out right.
In Matthew chapter 4, the temptation of Jesus can be viewed as a parallel to Adam and Eve's story. The Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness, where he encounters temptation from Satan. After 40 days of fasting, Jesus was tempted by Satan to satisfy His hunger by turning a stone into bread. This would provide Him with a short-term solution to His hunger. But unlike Adam and Eve, Jesus does not fall for the temptation. But rather, He uses Scripture to rebuke Satan: Deuteronomy 8:3, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." This response represents Jesus' full trust in the providence of His Father. He uses the Word of God to overpower His temporary physical need for food.
In examining the parallels between Adam and Jesus, we see our human struggle between trusting God's providence over satisfying our momentary wants and desires. When we are weak in our faith and ignorant of God's Word, we will be driven by our flesh to question the goodness and sovereignty of God and turn to our own wisdom. This is why it's important for us to make every effort to grow in our faith and to know and trust the Word of God.
2 Peter 1:5–6 (CSB)
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness,
Fast forward to our day, where the roar of the world often drowns out the gentle whispers of God's Word. The allure of wealth and power offers a mirage of worldly satisfaction that entices us to move away from God's Kingdom authority rule. We fall under the temptation to doubt God's wisdom, preferring to turn to the foolishness of this world. In doing so, we leave the safety of His Kingdom and expose ourselves to the perils of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
We make ourselves susceptible to the devil's lies, causing us to question God's power, His benevolence, and even His very existence. Yet, God, in His grace and mercy, draws us back through the words of the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:7. He invites us to cast all our cares on him and to fully trust in His divine providence.
1 Peter 5:7 (CSB)
casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.
The question is: are we willing to let go of our worldly worries, stresses, and anxieties? Do we truly believe that God is weaving and intertwining everything together for his Kingdom purposes? Are we ready to relinquish control and trust God to lead us through the zigs and zags and ups and downs of life? In the Kingdom, trusting God's providence isn't just an option; it's an invitation to live in peace, to be secure in our position in Jesus, and to be confident of our identity in Christ.