Luke 4:1-13;Matthew 4:1-11
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By the end of the third day his hunger pangs began to fade.He had fasted before and expected this, and thanked God for this small blessing that made the discipline easier.A little easier.But he knew, too, that his craving for food could come roaring back unexpectedly, that his body’s impulse to survive would mean that no stray lizard or bug or mouse or even scorpion would be safe from his appetite unless he harnessed his will and tuned his physical hunger to the feast of his spirit.
He had fasted many times for a day, several times for three days, and once even for seven days.He knew what to expect and how to prepare for such fasts.But this time was different.Very different.He had not prepared for this fast.He had been led to it… led here, to this parched, eerie, yet providential place in the wilderness.Led by…