‘…All these things I will give you…’ Matthew 4:9 NKJV
The attack over the cross. Let’s look at the third temptation Jesus faced: ‘…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."’ (Matthew 4:8-9 NKJV) Satan’s third attack was over a cross-less life. In essence, he told Jesus, ‘You don’t have to carry the cross. Just bow to me and you can have it all.’ Jesus said, ‘Away with you, Satan!’ (Matthew 4:10 NKJV) ‘Away’ with any teaching that says God is your concierge and He has to wait on you! Or that He’s like a vending machine; all you have to do is put in a few coins and whatever you want will come out.
Paul writes, ‘I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.’ (Galatians 2:20 NKJV) Has God promised to bless you? Absolutely! But that doesn’t mean you’ll never get hurt, or face lack, or fatigue, or be betrayed and disappointed by others. Jesus said, ‘…unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies [to self], it remains alone; but if it dies [to self], it produces much…’ (John 12:24 NKJV) Have you ever heard the expression, ‘Dead man walking?’ To do God’s will, you have to die to your own will, and do it daily. But if you’re willing to, God will take you to a new level of blessing.
SoulFood: 2 Chr 19-21, Luke 16:19-31, Ps 119:113-120, Pr 22:1-3
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2013
