This week we’re studying the personal story Jesus retells of his 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by the devil. He didn’t accidentally wander his way into the wilderness, he wasn’t running away – no, he was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness for this encounter. An encounter that would allow our savior to fully understand every temptation we would ever face. And here, in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil in every single way you and I will ever be tempted, Jesus himself made a way out of that temptation. Yesterday, in episode 1750 titled “Take the Out”, we read the first 2 verses in Luke 4 and we learned this powerful prayer in the middle of temptation, “Lord, show me the way out and help me take it.” Jesus has made a way out of whatever it is that has threatened to trip you up, distract you, derail you, and cause you to become entangled as a slave to the tricks of the devil. There is a way out. Ask for it. Look for it. Take it. While the devil tempted Jesus the entire 40 days in the wilderness with all the things, Jesus comes back and tells of 3 specific twisted offerings of the devil. At face value, they don’t seem to apply to us all that much … oh, but girl, they do! Let me show you. Today, we will look at the first of the 3 specific twisted offerings of the devil in Luke 4. Now remember, Jesus has been in the wilderness for 40 days, he hasn’t eaten anything, so he is very, very hungry. Y’all I did a 10 day juice cleanse one time where I ate nothing but fruit and vegetable juice that entire time. My belly button was gnawing on my back bone. I was hungrier than a tick on a skinny dog. I was running on fumes and food fantasies. On day 7 of the cleanse, it was my youngest daughter’s birthday and she wanted Olive Garden for dinner. I could smell every pasta dish in that restaurant. I was lusting over some strangers fettuccine alfredo. I would have seriously paid $5 to just lick someone’s fingers after they ate that bread stick. Have you ever been hungry? I mean really hungry? Jesus was hungry. 40 days no food hungry. I don’t even know what that feels like, but I know this much, when you’re hungry you are weak. You would eat anything from anyone, even just a bite. And in this weakness of extreme hunger, the devil comes walking by. I imagine he had his arms folded, maybe flicking his chin with his finger, one eyebrow raised, and a belittling tone in his evil voice and says in verse 3, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Verse 4, Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.'” When does the devil show up with his twisted offerings? Absolutely any opportunity he has. And his greatest opportunity is when we are weak. In our weakness we are vulnerable. When we are tired, when we are lonely, when we are bored, when we are hungry, when we are hurting … this is our most vulnerable state. And we have an enemy who roams around like a roaring lion looking to devour absolutely anyone he can. Lions know when to attack. They attack when the opportunity is greatest. The opportunity is greatest when we are weak. Girl, when you’re feeling weak, that’s when you reach out to your strongest girlfriends. That’s when you get yourself in the middle the circle and let them protect you. Did you know that’s what elephants do? In the wild, when a female elephant is weak and vulnerable, the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. With their butts in, they form a circle around the one who is weak, heads out on alert. The stand so close,