Don’t tempt God. The devil tries it and fails. Let’s not make the same mistake as the devil.
Perhaps you’ll object, “I’d never tempt God.” But what are we doing when we find ourselves so intent on stupid things? When he says that we don’t live on bread alone he’s also saying that we try to all the time. How foolish for a man who cannot be satisfied by merely eating bread to fill himself up on it!
The same thing goes for the object of our worship and adoration. That ability of ours to worship and adore is the exclusive privilege of God alone. When we extend that ability to someone who is not God should we be surprised that God feels provoked? The comparison with a bridegroom and his bride begs itself. There is a unique intimate embrace that is similarly the exclusive privilege of rightful spouses. The betrayal is called adultery when either spouse should attempt to extend that embrace to include a third person. God has the right to expect from us complete dedication. We must resist the urge to shift our affections anywhere else.
But, since we are tempted we take consolation in knowing that Jesus has experienced every temptation and that he still call us to follow him. We are being saved by one like us. But his rebuke of the devil resounds also for us, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
We’ve got to return to him and do the penance today. No more putting it off.