by[12] “When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, [13] saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ [14] And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” [15] So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” – Matthew 28:12-15 (NKJV)
Today, when you go to Israel, many people don’t respect the name of Jesus. A lot of them grew up hearing gossip that His body was stolen, so His resurrection wasn’t true. And yes, that is so because the Bible says the soldiers who perpetrated that gossip, which is still spreading today, were given huge sums of money to do that. It could be that the soldiers had good hearts and were focused on maintaining their professional integrity. But that bribe corrupted it.
See, a bribe can corrupt your good heart if you overlook the consequences of the evil you will do for receiving such things. Proverbs 17:8 (NIV) says,
“A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn.”
From the verse above, it means you cannot get your way around things by giving bribes to people. On the other hand, if what you intend to do with the bribe fails, the one you bribed to help you will also get into trouble when caught. Can you remain bent on maintaining your integrity before God and not accept using shortcuts to get things done? Life is a long journey, and whatever you sow, you are going to reap it. So live clean before God.
You are a blessing.
Prayer:
Father, in Jesus’s name, help me live clean before You wherever I go. May I never be lured by the deceitfulness of money. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD – 2026 – 132
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