Tempted – Music Story

The Spirit of God led Jesus, the Son of God, to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, to be tempted just like us.

Challenge #1

God “rained down bread from heaven” [i] to feed the children of Israel when they were hungry in the wilderness. Jesus was hungry in the wilderness.

Shouldn’t God’s Son make bread from stones?
Shouldn’t the Creator feed us when we are hungry?

Challenge #2

Psalm 91 promises that no evil would befall the one who made God his dwelling place. The angels “will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”[ii] Satan brought Jesus to the highest point of the temple and told him to throw himself down.

Wouldn’t people believe Jesus was God’s Son if God kept him safe?
If he wants us to believe in him, shouldn’t the Creator kept us safe?

Challenge #3

The children of Israel had a choice: “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”[iii] If Jesus didn’t like God’s way, he could choose Satan’s.

If Jesus bowed down and worshiped Satan, Satan would give him all the kingdoms of the world.
If the Creator doesn’t fulfill our desires, we’ll go elsewhere.

According to Jesus, these three challenges are not valid reasons for rejecting the Creator and refusing to serve and worship him. Jesus can sympathize with our weaknesses, he “has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”[iv]

From the album “Redemption” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Matthew 4:1-11.

Kathy

Click here to read the temptation of Jesus.

Print (PDF) sheet music is available for Tempted.

Click here for PDF.

[i] Exodus 16:3-4 Exodus 16 | NIV Bible | YouVersion
[ii] Psalms 91 | NIV Bible | YouVersion
[iii] Joshua 24:15 Joshua 24 | NIV Bible | YouVersion
[iv] Hebrews 4:15 Hebrews 4 | NIV Bible | YouVersion

I Cry to God for Mercy - Music Story

David was a man after God’s own heart.

1 Samuel records three times when David refused to use his circumstances for personal gain.

God had rejected Saul as king and appointed David in his stead. In a jealous rage Saul sought David’s life. He and his troops chased after David. David and his men hid in the recesses of a cave. When Saul entered the cave alone, David’s men encouraged him to take vengeance on Saul. David refused. Instead, he chose to wait for God to rescue him.

Psalms 142:1-2, 5-6
A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.

I cry aloud to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out before him my complaint;
before him I tell my trouble.

I cry to you, Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.
Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me”[i]

David was a man after God’s own heart. David and Jesus each refused to become king by disobeying The Ten Commandments:[ii] David refused to murder Saul, Jesus refused to worship Satan.[iii] Both chose to wait for God to rescue them.

Continuing the story of “Redemption,” this short Psalm (based on David’s circumstances in 1 Samuel 24 – 26) is scrolling playback of the song.

Kathy

Click here to read 1 Samuel 24 – 26.

Print (PDF) sheet music is available for I Cry to God for Mercy.

Click here for PDF.

---

[i] Psalms 142 | NIV Bible | YouVersion
[ii] Exodus 20 | NIV Bible | YouVersion
[iii] The Temptation of Jesus