| Photo by Nadine E on Unsplash
We continue in Matthew 4, and the temptation of Jesus. The devil did not give up on Jesus immediately! He keeps coming at us, trying to tempt us into giving up on being a follower of Jesus.
The third temptation that the devil tried to get Jesus is found in Matthew 4: 8-11. We see that the devil takes him to the top of a very high mountain, where they could see all the cities and things of the world. The devil says to Jesus: “I will give it all to you,” he said, “If you will kneel down and worship me.”
The devil still tempts us with this today. If you serve me, I will give you everything in this world. How many people give in to that temptation if we do things the way the world does, that we will have everything we need in life?
But how did Jesus respond? Matthew 4:10-11 tells us, “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” This is what we need to do when we face temptation. “Choose you this day, whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
What happened next? “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”
Lord, help me to remember that when I follow You and You alone, You will take care of me and my family! Why would I give in to temptation when I can have the Lord take care of me? Lord, help me to be aware of the temptations and to resist them in Jesus’ name!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pastor Ronald Squibb has been the International Christian Center (ICC) Lead Senior Pastor at Staten Island, New York, since 2011. He draws many experiences from his over 40 years as a pastor and significant emotional life experiences.
His new book, Following the Journey with Jesus, which he co-authored with Daniel McNaughton, was recently published and is receiving rave reviews. His daily devotional appears in this publication.
