This song from Heaven Shall Not Wait takes as its subject, Jesus’ temptations in the desert.
They suggest the song be sung by two voices as a dialogue between Jesus and Satan, so I can’t see any use by an assembly. Their paraphrase of the story makes the Satan character more attractive, like the serpent in the Garden, which makes the temptations rather more persuasive.
The music offers only a melody line so I suspect he means unaccompanied. I had to make up matching chords for a backing that fit the melody but struggled until I came up with this.
1 For forty days and forty nights, the desert place was Jesus’ home.
Baptised and blessed, God let him stay where thoughts of fame and fortune roam.
If doubt is deep and faith is small, the desert place is where he’ll stall:
If faith is deep and doubt is thin, the desert place is where he’ll win.
2 In unknown parts, where strangers meet, to build a bridge, they sit and eat.
But where there’s neither drink nor food, what can be done to make things good?
“Why not decline to be ill fed? Command these stones to turn to bread.”
“Why crave for bread, when God alone fulfills more need than transformed stone?”
3 Above the world’s most holy place, the sight below cries out for grace:
To jump down from the temple’s tower would show God’s mercy and heaven’s power.
“If faith and love are more than charms, let angels catch you in their arms.”
“Though angels come at my behest, I will not set the Lord a test.”
4 A mountain top reveals the earth in all its tragedy and mirth;
Nations and people need a king to wisely govern everything.
“All that you want, and all you see, is yours if you will worship me.”
“All that I see is God’s to give, to him I pray, for him I live.”
5 For forty days and forty nights the desert place was Jesus’ home.
Baptised and blessed, God let him stay where thoughts of fame and fortune roam.
And, we who follow Christ today, are prone to hear the tempter’s voice.
And whether we say Yes or No is our, not God’s, peculiar choice.
Words: John L. Bell & Graham Maule, copyright © 1987 Wild Goose Resource Group/ WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G2 3DH, Scotland. Melody: FORTY DAYS (JLB). Websites: wgrg.co.uk & holycity-glasgow.co.uk