Who of us does not want to succeed in life? To the world, success is all about the power. The more successful you are, the bigger your house will be, your car, or even your bank account. But, God tells us our success should not be based on what the world says but only on the Word of God.
As we continue through Lent as our Lesson in Preparation, sometimes God leads us Into the Wilderness. But God is faithful, and through His faithfulness, we learn where we find our true power.
Today, as we look at Jesus’ third and final temptation, we see that the world would want us to believe it is all about the power. However, God teaches us that power comes from Him alone. Jesus shows us that the easy way is usually not the right way. But when you walk in the will of God, it is worth far more.
Read with me from Luke 4:5-8;
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'”
“Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”
My husband and I just watched this great baseball movie entitled, Moneyball. This kid chooses a big check and a promising baseball career over a full scholarship to Stanford. But he chokes in the first season and is quickly cut from the team. No ball, no money and no Stanford degree or education.
Life is like that. As we grow, we are offered opportunity after opportunity. Some are of God, some are of this world. We have to decide. Will we go with what the world tells us is right? Or, do we do it God’s way? The temptation is to do it the fast and flashy way. The easy way. But we all know, the easy way is usually not the right way.
When I sold my business to write a book, people thought I was crazy. Sometimes, I thought I was crazy. This made no sense to sell my business of twenty years to do what? Write a book. But when you follow God, it will not look like what the world will tell you it should look like.
Four years later, I am back in corporate America, wearing nice clothes and fancy shoes. Is this what God has called me to do? It is so easy to get caught up in what the world will tell you is success. My challenge is to remain faithful to God and what God has called me to do.
Through Jesus’ wilderness experience, God reveals His humanity. It is necessary so that we in our weakness can relate and discover strength to stand against temptation. Jesus’ temptations were far bigger than ours. Had He given in, the consequences would have cost us everything. But He did not give in. He stood strong in the face of temptation, even in His weakness.
Be faithful to God as God is faithful to you.
Jesus held all the power and Satan knew it. Real power comes when we do not act in our flesh or in our ego, but when we stand on the Word of God. When we realize that the same Spirit that dwells within Christ, lives within us.
Jesus knew what God called Him to do and He knew His own power. He could have given in.
My study note for Luke 4:7 reads, “The devil was tempting Jesus to avoid the sufferings of the cross, which he came specifically to endure. The temptation offered an easy shortcut to world dominion.”
This is why He was here. This was His purpose and it was not going to be easy. But this is what God called Him to do.
Jesus, in all of his divinity, proves his true humanity. As He looks to God and trusts in God’s plan for His life, He can stand strong in the face of temptation. In doing so, He not only saves Himself, He saves us all! Praise be to God! Thanks be to Jesus!
Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Let us pray,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we praise you for your faithfulness to us. Teach us how to stand strong in the face of temptation. Help us to walk in Your will, not ours. May we always trust You above anything else. Amen.
P.S. Leave me a message below and let me know how you plan to honor Christ today. Forward this message to a friend and ask them to subscribe. Post on Facebook and tag me in it. Until next time, remember, Jesus found His strength in the Word of God. We can too! -M
