Only One to Worship : Matthew 4:8-10 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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Only One to Worship - Matthew 4:8-10

Then the devil led Jesus to the top of a very high mountain. The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, and all the great things that are in those kingdoms. The devil said, "If you will bow down and worship me, I will give you all these things." Jesus said to the devil, "Go away from me, Satan! It is written {in the Scriptures}, 'You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!'" (ERV) Full Text

Key Thought

What's our breaking point? At what point would we quit honoring God and begin to choose Satan's path? Not a very comfortable question, is it? What if we knew someone had power over the world and would give it to us if we would just acknowledge him as king? What if we knew we would suffer and be offered as a sacrifice because we would not acknowledge him as king? Jesus is Lord. Not because he took Satan's phony bargain, but because he refused it. "Away from me!" Jesus ordered and Satan obeyed -- as the next verse describes. But the cost of this victory meant a far more gruesome battle. But Jesus refused to compromise his devotion to the Father even at the cost of his own comfort, acceptance, and life. Jesus won these battles over Satan and repeatedly chose to walk the path of total devotion to God, at incredible cost, to redeem us!

Today's Prayer

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O Lord my God, my heart is filled with admiration, wonder, thanks, and praise. Your plan to redeem me from my sins and adopt me into your family comes at such a high cost to you and Jesus. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for redeeming me from the debt of sin. Thank you for dying to prevent death's power controlling me. Thank you. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you!

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Today's Verses in Context

Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. Jesus was taken there to be tempted by the devil. Jesus ate nothing for 40 days and nights. After this, he was very hungry. The devil came to Jesus to tempt him. The devil said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these rocks to become bread." Jesus answered him, "It is written {in the Scriptures }, 'It is not just bread that keeps people alive. People's lives depend on what God says.'" Then the devil led Jesus to the holy city (Jerusalem). The devil put Jesus on a very high place on the temple. The devil said, "If you are the Son of God, jump off. Why? Because it is written {in the Scriptures }, 'God will command his angels for you, and their hands will catch you, so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.'" Jesus answered him, "It also says {in the Scriptures }, 'You must not test (doubt) the Lord your God.'" Then the devil led Jesus to the top of a very high mountain. The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, and all the great things that are in those kingdoms. The devil said, "If you will bow down and worship me, I will give you all these things." Jesus said to the devil, "Go away from me, Satan! It is written {in the Scriptures }, 'You must worship the Lord your God. Serve only him!'" So the devil left Jesus. And then some angels came to Jesus and helped him.

— Matthew 4:1-11 (ERV)

Comments on "Only One to Worship":

Then God said, "I am the Lord your God. I led you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves. {So you must obey these commands:}
Exodus 20:1-2 (ERV)

esus answered, "'You must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and most important command."
Matthew 22:37-38 (ERV)

Now is the time for the world to be judged. Now the ruler of this world (the devil) will be thrown out. I will be lifted up from the earth. And when this happens, I will bring all people to me." Jesus said this to show how he would die.
John 12:31-33 (ERV)

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