The Grave Sin of Doubting God's Presence

While Jesus was standing on the highest point of the temple, Satan whispered, "Do it - Jump! If you are truly the Son of God, he will save you.

"And I said, If thou be the Son of God, throw yourself down, it is written, shall give his angels charge over you, and you hold in your hands lest you dash your foot against a stone" (Matthew 4:6).

Do you see the subtlety of Satan bent on this? The isolated a promise of Scripture - and tempted Jesus to throw his life on this. He was suggesting, "You say that God is with you. Well, show me the proof. Your Father has already allowed to bother you. Where is their presence in that? You can prove that he is with you if you rush down. If God is with you, he will provide you not hurt when he fell. Then you base your confidence in that. If not, then it is better to die, instead of wondering if you live alone. You need a miracle to prove that the Father is with you. "

How did Jesus respond? He stated, "It is written: 'Do not tempt the Lord thy God'" (Matthew 4:7). What exactly did Jesus mean here referring to "tempt God?"

Ancient Israel is an example. Ten times the Lord had proven his loyalty to the Israelites. The people of God was visible proof that their Lord was with them. Yet, increasingly, the people wondered the same thing: "Is God among us or not?" God calls this "tempting him." Jesus uses the same phrase - "tempting God" - in his response to Satan. What does this tell us? Shows that it is a grave sin to doubt God's presence, we must not question whether he is with us.

As with Israel, God has given us an entire body of evidence. First, we have many promises in his word of his presence with us. Second, we have our personal history with God - a testimony to the many times he has rescued us. Third, we have a Bible full of witnesses to the presence of God for centuries.

The Bible is clear: Our walk with God is by faith and not by sight. Otherwise, you end up like Israel without faith.