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We thank Thee Father, for thy abiding presence, and wait upon Thee that you may speak to us, as we continue to meditate upon upon the promise that you have spoken to us – The Lord will build Zion; And He will demonstrate His glory. [Psalms 102:16] He will build your life, to be a spiritual palace that He may dwell in you eternally. And He does it in a relationship with Him that you enjoy, as you call Him, Abba Father, by receiving Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You are no longer a slave in bondage to fear when you trust in Christ. He became flesh and blood that He may become a merciful and faithful High Priest, making propitiation for the sins of the people. And because He Himself suffered when tempted, He is able to to help those who are being tempted. [Hebrews 2:17,18] There are three reasons why you face temptation in this world. They are the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and, the pride of life. [1 John 2:15-17] And Christ overcame them, that in Him you may now be empowered to withstand and overcome the temptation that comes against you.
HIM only- you shall worship & serve:
Again the devil took Him to a mountain top, and showed Him, all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him [Jesus] all these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’. [Matthew 4:8-10] It may come very subtly and in many guises, that can so easily deceive you, but no one is exempt from this temptation. To bow down to him once in worship was the devil’s tempting suggestion. And the Lord overcame it by declaring His obedience to the word of His Father, which alone was true worship.
Worship and service :
Worship and service go hand in hand, for the hands lifted up in God’s sanctuary on a Sunday in worship, serve Him for the rest of the week, as they are stretched forth in gainful work, whatever may be your occupation. It is with your heart and your hand that you worship and you also work. And there is always the subtle temptation, which on yielding to it can see you giving all credit for your provision to your work, to ultimately make money your god, and work your worship. But the truth is that you have a Father, about whom the apostle Paul has said, ‘And my God shall supply all your need’, and it is also written, ‘Those who seek the Lord shall lack no good thing’. And under-girding it all is the truth, that you seek the Lord because you are His child. It is a relationship.
Greed is idolatry:
Put to death therefore, what is earthly in you, sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed which is idolatry. [Colossians 3:5] The warning is strong, for a craving or excessive longing for more and more earthly possessions, will take out to a place of greed, that is idolatry. An idol is not necessarily a block of stone that you bow down to. What matters is whether you are truly worshiping God in your heart. For, an idol is anything that takes the place of God, or what comes between God and you in tour life. And it will come together with immorality,when it comes to possessing what you think you need in your life. It is easy to convince yourself in your desperation, when your dependence is wholly on your own self, and God is nowhere in the picture.Immorality is unfaithfulness, being unfaithful to God in your covenant relationship with Him. But the wondrous truth is that even when we are unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Looking back, you and I could all no doubt recollect circumstances in which we were led astray in ungodly ways, but it is the faithful and loving God who has not let go of us. And seated this day in His loving presence, you can say now, let him who boasts, boast in the Name of the Lord, for it is He who has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in high places, and given you understanding that you may stand against temptation that comes from the hand of the devil, that you may guard yourself against greed, and keep yourself from idols.
The Son of God has come, has given you understanding:
And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. [1 John 5:20] It is in many ways, the beautiful message of Christmas, the coming of the Son of God that in Him you may have eternal life. The western, so called developed nations, may have many who refer to those who acknowledge and believe in the One True God, as the emotionally immature who need to clutch a teddy bear to feel secure! But acknowledging the foolishness of it all, you and I ought to be so thankful that our eyes have been opened by the Living and Loving God who has picked us up from the miry clay of sin and temptation, to make us stand upon the Rock of Christ, giving us understanding that only He can give. And it is with an understanding of the truth that you can stand under and not fall, but come out victorious when you face an alluring temptation, which otherwise can lead you on the path of idolatry. For a man without understanding is like the beasts that perish. But the Son has come that you may not perish, but have eternal life. Idolatry is put simply, a running away from God, in a path that ultimately leads to death, an eternal separation from God. It is why, the apostle concludes his epistle with these sober words – Little children, guard yourselves from idols. [vs 21] Satan can subtly twist your thinking, to make money and possessions take the place of God in your heart, as you begin to give prime importance to what they can accomplish in your life. But one has to always remember that what money can do in your life, God can always do, and do much more. But what God can do in your life, is something that money can never do. It can buy you a house, but it is the Lord who blesses you with a home. And there is a world of difference between the two! For, the pattern of the world today, is a marriage relationship that so easily ends in irreconcilable differences.
In all your getting, get understanding! –
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, in all your getting, get understanding. [Proverbs 4:7] The counsel of God’s word is practical and sound, for wisdom of God will fetch you more profitable returns than silver or gold. It is never outdated and very valuable today in a world that is battling economic recession, and thousands of hitherto high end employees are losing their jobs overnight. The temptation to acquire possessions and wealth by ungodly means is ever so real. But the bible teaches you to acquire understanding, so that you may come to know the true God, and worship only Him. Let it be the prayer for your children, so that their peace may be great; peace that is everything good and right being present, and also in the manner that they need to be. And for it to happen, Christ, the Prince of Peace needs to be the center of your life, the One and Only God whom you worship and serve. A man cannot serve two masters, is the all important truth that the Lord has made very clear. You have to make a choice.
As for me and my household … –
Choose this day, whom you will serve.. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. [Joshua 24:15] And when God says you can, as is seen from the words of Joshua above, never stop trying, as you trust in the goodness of God. What is impossible is, to have both God and money. It is why some deserted God when they were tempted. It is what Paul remarks about Demas. [2 Timothy 4:10] For Judas, in spite of being with the Son of God Himself, it was a mere thirty pieces of silver. So guard yourself from idols. The Son of God became man to give you understanding, that you may overcome, even as He overcame. In every circumstance of your life, to what He forbids you from doing, He gives you the strength not to do it. And when He bids you to do something He Himself becomes your strength, as He empowers you, helps you by giving you understanding. Therefore, if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. [Psalms 62:10] For Christ needs to be the center of your life. Let Him not be in a corner, lost in the dialogue, but be your first port of call when you need to make a choice. Let the psalmist’s prayer be yours, to say, Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things, and give me life in your ways. [Psalms 119:36,37] It was what Abraham did, as he lifted his hands unto the Lord, acknowledging Him as His only source, committing to worship and serve Him only. [Genesis 14:22,23]
Work and worship – the divine connection:
Whatever you do, in word or deed do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus. giving thanks to God the Father through Him. [Colossians 3:17] And with understanding, as you work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men, you will know that from Him comes your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ, whom you worship and adore. [Colossians 3:23,24] Therefore, in challenging times, when you may feel unappreciated, or in good times when you may be tempted to take credit for yourself, whatever and wherever you may be, may your heart be settled in the truth that your knees will bow, and your tongue confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and He only. May He reign in the center of your life, as you give thanks unto the Father, for enlightening your eyes, and blessing you with the understanding that will guard you from every idol to worship and serve the Lord alone. In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
