A Deeper Issue

"Then the devil said to Him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.'

But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.'"
Luke 4:3,4 NLT

Jesus had been fasting in the wilderness for forty days. He was very hungry. He was at a vulnerable point in His life. Satan took advantage of the weakness in Christ. He tempted Jesus to turn stone into bread so He could meet his immediate need; His hunger. Sounded logical. After all, Jesus could turn the stone into bread if He wanted to. But He chose not to do so. Why? Jesus knew that the changing the stone issue wasn't the true issue. The real issue at hand was not His hunger. It was His dependence on His Father and the Holy Spirit. There was a "deeper issue."

We get challenged the same way today. We perceive an issue in our life to be the main issue. For example, an alcoholic may say the issue in his life is his drinking. But the real issue is why is he choosing to drink? What are the factors underlying his drinking addiction?

When our son Jordan was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I was mad. But God showed me that there was a deeper issue with Jordan. God is still in the miracle business. But what if He used Jordan's disease to help shape Jordan into the man of God he is called to be? What if God used Jordan's diabetes to shape his destiny? What if God was glorified in spite of Jordan's weakness?

So here are the questions that I have been asking myself. I'll ask you too. What "loaf of bread" or request are you asking God for? What is the deeper issue?