A long time ago, in a desert far away Jesus winced in pain as He stared at a magnificent angel. Satan, disguised as a mighty being of light stood before Jesus exuding raw power and bold confidence. Jesus, who hadn’t eaten in 40 days, tottered on weak legs. His vision blurred, and His stomach grumbled.    Satan glanced at Jesus’ belly and grinned. “You’re hungry.” Then the angel stooped down, picked up a smooth stone and rolled in his powerful hand. Satan spoke. “All the angels and I were there when you created this planet. I remember the awesome power of your words. You spoke and created light. Your words were so powerful.”   Satan looked at Jesus and tossed him the stone. Jesus caught it but didn’t break eye contact.    Satan continued, “You will need that power to accomplish your mission. So before you begin your ministry, all of heaven needs to know that you have the ability to take care of yourself, to save yourself.”    Jesus didn’t speak. His face was calm, his eyes were bold.    Satan couldn’t tell if his disguise had worked, so he pointed to the rock still in Jesus’ hands. “You haven’t performed a miracle or shown a sign of your true nature for thirty years. It’s time to speak again, to create again. If you are the Son of God, turn that stone into bread.”    Satan had prepared for this very moment for centuries. He had strategized every word, every gesture, every pause for the most powerful effect. And now he waited for the perfect few seconds and then pounced, “Do it, and prove to the Universe that you truly are the Son of God.”   Jesus, weak and emaciated from hunger and thirst, seemed like an easy mark in front of the brilliant angel. Yet, beneath the human frailty, Jesus had an invisible Source of strength. He had faith.   Jesus too, had been preparing for this moment, countless hours pouring over the Scriptures, meditating on their meanings, memorizing the sacred verses, hundreds of early mornings, up before dawn, walking, listening, and praying in the fields.    During all those hours, Jesus had learned one thing: God’s got this. No matter what, no matter the issue, no matter the struggle, no matter the need. God’s got this.    And at this very moment of his temptation, Jesus chose to trust.   Jesus chose to pray. And as he silently prayed, Jesus saw the trap.    Would Jesus trust in God to provide for His needs, or would He give in to doubt and try to save himself?    God called Him into the desert. For 40 days God had kept His body going without food or water. Could Jesus trust in God for just a little bit longer, or was it time to take matters into His own hands?   Jesus bowed his head and took a long, slow breath. God’s got this, He said silently. Then a Bible verse flashed into His mind.    Jesus looked up and stared into satan’s eyes, Jesus tossed the rock away. It cracked and rolled across the craggy ground. Jesus spoke. “It is written: Man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”   In one simple reply, Jesus demolished the doubts, the fears, and the lies of satan.    Jesus was saying, “I trust in my Father. I don’t have to prove my identity to you or his love for me. I don’t have to save myself. God will provide.”    Inside Satan boiled with rage. In one simple move, in one simple verse, Jesus had put him in checkmate. He had hoped that Jesus would argue and try to reason with him as so many other humans had done. But Jesus sidestepped the debate and went straight to the root: God’s character. Jesus declared that God was good and worthy of His trust, even if he was starving.    Satan swallowed his anger and smiled. He must maintain his disguise as an angel. His next temptation was even more sinister, he would trick Jesus through religion. Satan looked up towards heaven, nodded and said, “Now the Father wants me to take you to the temple. It’s time to prove your faith.”   Then satan snapped his fingers, and suddenly both of them disappeared. The desert was empty, an