Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him (Matthew 4:11).

Imagine that! You just spent 40 days in the desert, hungry and alone. The first interaction you have following your abstention from society is with the devil! You are tempted toward sins of various kinds that would quickly bring you nourishment, attention, and power. 

But you, child of God, are strong and resist the evil one. You stand firm in truth, and he flees from you. Now, you find yourself in the presence not of other people ready to feed you or bring you your favorite latte, but in the presence of angels attending to you and comforting you.

Isn’t that how it goes for you every time you’re tempted by sin? Yeah… me neither. I’ve fallen short. I’ve given in to whatever the desire was. But that is most definitely not the case with Jesus. He is the one. Though he may be physically weak following the fast – and the devil comes to appeal to that weakness – Jesus is prepared for the spiritual warfare about to ensue in that moment and throughout his ministry. He is the one with the authority, integrity, boldness, and courage to speak the truth and command evil to flee from him.

What strikes me most about this verse is that it shows something about how relatable Jesus is. We shouldn’t forget that Jesus, while fully God, is fully man and uniquely capable of meeting us in our humanity. 

I get pretty hungry without a meal for 4 hours. He went for 40 days and did it out in the desert! To follow that up, he is confronted by the devil. That must have been exhausting. Who wouldn’t want some help after that? I’m sure Jesus appreciated the help he received. Oh, and it wasn’t from people. They were angels who came to attend and, as some translations put it, minister to him.

That’s my favorite part of this story. Imagine the Lord watching you go through your trials and temptations and sending angels to attend to your weary soul. I’m not sure that I know what the presence of angels around me feels like. 

But I’ve certainly felt an inexplicable peace and calm after times that I’ve resisted particularly troublesome temptations. Jesus told us that we will be given a Comforter to be with us forever. He paved the way for us to receive all the help we could need when confronted with our temptations. What if there’s an angel with you right now to help you through your day today? Imagine that.

Take heart in knowing that whatever trial or temptation you may be going through today, Jesus gets you. He feels your struggle and knows just what you need. Be open to him reaching out to you. Be open to the Holy Spirit or even an angel coming to minister to you. He loves you and has your back through it all.