“Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” — Matthew 4:8 - 10 NKJV
Before any great servant of God rises to the top, the devil always comes to tempt him. Adam couldn’t skip it. Jesus couldn’t bypass it. How much more will you? The tempter will come, not once, twice or thrice, but every opportune time he gets (Luke 4:13). The reason why I say Adam couldn’t skip it is that God ordained him to dress and keep the garden of Eden with Eve his helper. So if they had won over satan’s temptation in Genesis 3, they would have fulfilled their divine mandate in a much more outstanding way than what they did.
You see, the devil doesn’t know your future. But when God is taking you to greater heights, he senses it. It’s just like the case of a pregnant woman. The baby isn’t yet visible to the world, but the signs are visible because her belly becomes enormous.
The devil knew Jesus. So to cause him to drift off His mission on earth, he tempted Him three times just after fasting. The first one, which is, turning stone into bread, was to see whether Jesus was a slave to food – which is even a struggle for many ministers today. But the second was denying worldly pleasures for the cause of God’s mission. The devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world. He told Jesus to worship him so that he would give it to Him. Satan’s claims weren’t wrong because Adam handed that authority over to him after the fall. However, Jesus knew the devil was (and still is) a liar. So He rejected his offer.
Friend, this thing continues to happen. It may not be like how Jesus encountered it. But it can come in huge contracts that’ll sway you from God’s mandate. Or about increasing your salary so that you’ll stay at your organisation while God is calling you to leave everything aside. These struggles are real and shouldn’t be denied. If ministers don’t tell you this, don’t think it doesn’t happen to them because it does.
Today, you have the privilege of knowing this Word. But I throw a question to you, dear reader, “Will you deny worldly pleasures for the cause of God’s mission?” I know that sometimes, obeying God is hard. But hey, look into God’s glorious future for you and obey Him wholeheartedly. You’ll not regret it, even if you experience immediate unpleasant effects.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer
Oh God, give me the grace to deny worldly pleasures for the cause of Your mission upon my life. Let me not become distracted by the delights of this world as I seek to fulfil my calling. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD – 2023 – 013
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