“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone’ ” Luke 4:1-4

Spirit-led people can expect temptation. This is a clear lesson we learn from Jesus. Being born again by water and the Spirit (John 3:5) in no way guarantees exemption from trials and temptations: “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” Acts 14:22.

Enticement to self-reliance is at the heart of the devil’s temptation. Shift the focus from dependence on our Father to our own ability to provide. Limited as our own abilities are, nothing is easier to do. It calls to mind the prayer of a presumptuous farmer at a harvest-time meal in which he recounted their efforts to sow the seed, cultivate the crop, and harvest the bounty; adding almost as a footnote that “we thank you anyway.”

The sin of self-reliance is high on the list in a culture of plenty. Even the poorest among us have choices that many in the world cannot even imagine. When we overly depend upon personal financial resources and/or social benefits, we easily slide down the slippery slope away from reliance on our Creator.

Jesus answered every temptation with a heartfelt quote from scripture. It’s not so much that He provided the right answer; He responded from the reality of how He lived according to the life-giving words of His Father.

Deuteronomy 8:3, which Jesus quoted in part, is especially helpful to us in avoiding the sin of self-reliance: “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”

The provision should point us in faith to the Provider. Profound gratitude to Him who has provided us with all we have is a great remedy for the sin of self-reliance.

Be sure to also see Amazon ebook & print devotional and podcast: New Day Dawning.