READ: MATTHEW 4:1-11; 26:36-56; 27:27-46; HEBREWS 4:14-16

When was the last time you were hungry? I’m not talking about your typical hunger; I’m talking about the “I haven’t eaten a single thing in over a week” kind of hunger. Most of us have not had to experience this level of hunger, and it’s mind-boggling to consider how Jesus did this willingly—not just for a week, but for forty days!

Matthew wrote that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, or tested, by the devil (4:1). It wasn’t until after Jesus had fasted for forty days and nights that Satan came to tempt him. Why would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into this wilderness? Why would Jesus fast?

Jesus was being prepared for the journey before Him—specifically to the cross. Laying down His life as His Father asked was no simple task. It was bloody and brutal, painful till the end. He took on the punishment for all of our sins on the cross. The whole experience was so excruciating that He cried out to His Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (27:46).

All of this, including Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness, was for our benefit. Jesus loves us. He is fully God, yet He is also fully human, and He was tempted in every way when He was on this earth. So we can take comfort in times of testing, because Jesus is with us, and He knows how we feel. And Hebrews 4:14-16 calls Jesus our Great High Priest. Because of His sacrifice on the cross for us and His victorious resurrection, we no longer have to go to a priest to make atonement for our sins as they did in the Old Testament. Instead, we can trust in the blood of Jesus alone to save us. God the Father no longer sees our sins, but the righteousness of His Son covering us.

Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can approach God’s throne with freedom and confidence, certain that we will receive God’s mercy and grace to help us in our times of need and temptation. • Savannah Coleman

• Resisting temptation is hard—Jesus is the only one who did it perfectly! When we’re struggling with temptation of any kind, Jesus empathizes with us. He has so much compassion for us, and He wants to help us. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He has given us His Holy Spirit, along with His Word (the Bible) and His people (the church), to help us resist temptation and follow God by living in His good ways. Can you think of a time Jesus helped you resist temptation? Consider taking some time to thank Him for that today!

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NIV)

READ: JOHN 4:7-42; 7:37-39; 10:10-11

I stand in a large room, staring at a table. About twenty cups, ranging from jeweled goblets to simple glasses, are arranged before me.

I walk to the table and pick up the biggest, fanciest goblet. The word “Money” is laid out in beautiful jewels. The drink inside tastes like soda. It satisfies my thirst for a moment, but soon my mouth is dry once again.

I take another cup, this one engraved with the word “Popularity.” It’s full of what looks like pink lemonade. It tastes wonderful for a second, but then, once again, I am thirsty.

I drink from several more glasses, tasting “Power,” “Lust,” and “Control.” Another, which reads, “Good Works,” is filled to the brim with water mixed with a drink powder. None of the cups satisfy me. I am always left dry.

But what is this? Hidden behind an ornate goblet is a humble mug with the words “Salvation in Jesus” painted on it. It’s filled with…water? That doesn’t seem as good as the other drinks. But nothing else has worked.

I taste the water in the mug. It is good! I take another sip, and another. I drink the whole mug. At last, I am no longer thirsty. The water has quenched my unquenchable thirst. • Natalie Crowe

• Today’s allegorical story is inspired by John 4:7-15 and John 7:37-39. Which cup has been most enticing to you lately—money, popularity, power, lust, control, good works, or something else? How has this cup disappointed you in the past?

• Jesus offers us “living water” (John 7:38). If we put our trust in Him, we receive eternal life and the Holy Spirit—who is God living in us—and the love of God fills us! Why is God’s love the only thing that will never leave us empty? (Hint: read Romans 5:5-8; 8:28-39).

• If you want to know more about what it means to put your trust in Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (NIV)

READ: GENESIS 1:1-3; PSALM 102:25-27; JOHN 1:1-3; EPHESIANS 1:4-6

Before the stars in radiance shone,
Before anyone had ever seen or known
The beauty of a sky at night,
Before there was even dark or light,
You were there.

Before the earth had shape or form,
Or the sea was told its bounds,
Before the hills were adorned with trees
And never had a plant been found,
You were there.

Before the waters teemed with life
Or any creature had its name,
Before man breathed
Or life became,
You were there.

Forever You have been.
You made it all with “Let there be.”
You brought it forth with just a word.
You are the holy Lord of lords.

God has always been and always will be. He doesn’t have a beginning or an end. Just imagine, long before the world was made, long before God brought it into being, He already had a plan for saving us from sin. Sin didn’t come as a surprise to Him. He knew all along that we would turn away from Him, and He still created us. He had the plan in place from the beginning—to rescue us from sin and death through Jesus’s death and resurrection, and to restore all that has been broken by sin at Jesus’s glorious return.

And God has had a plan for you—ever since He first made the world—and even before. He knew exactly when and where you would be born, and who would come into your life to lead you to Him. Praise be to God, the Eternal One and the Creator of the world! • Haley Walts

• Have you ever thought about how God has always existed and always will? We can never fully wrap our brains around God’s eternality, and that’s okay. Consider taking some time to praise God in prayer or song, expressing any awe and wonder you feel about His eternal nature.

• How does it make you feel to know that God always had a plan to save you? (If you want to know more about this good news, see our "Know Jesus" page.)

Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:2 (NIV)