Daily Devotional June 20 - God is your Refuge

 "Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple. And saith unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands shall they bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto Him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Matthew 4:5-7

What Jesus was called to do, Jesus did. The devil with all of his power (and it is plenty) could not convince Jesus to go beyond what Jesus was called to do, not what Jesus could have done or could do, but what He was called to do. Yes Jesus could have made other arrangements, but if Jesus had succumbed to the temptation of the devil, there would be no grace, no mercy, no forgiveness of sins.

What kinds of things could happen if you step away from your calling and allow the devil to get a foothold in your life? In our modern society, even Christians don't take very seriously just how dangerous it is to allow the devil any space in your life. First of all I would venture to say that many Christians don't really believe in a devil that roams like "a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may desire." (1 Peter 5:8) There is a kind of unspoken request that we just don't talk about the devil and all will be well.

This is just not true. How can you recognize something that you don't believe exists or that you are unfamiliar with? How can you know when you are being tempted to step outside of you calling if you turn a blind eye toward the problem maker? How can you stand against an enemy that you deny exists?
The devil is real. The devils ways are insidious. The devil wants you to play on his playground and with his toys. If you are thinking that his playground and his toys aren't really that dangerous, you will be easily led to step out of your protected zone under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and try some new territory, untested and unsure of the outcome.

The devil knows that you aren't going to lose your salvation, he simply wants you to lose your credibility. You family, friends and business relationships are all at stake. Just for the record, I can't think of anything worth giving up the incredible feeling of being under the protective hand of Jesus. That's right, when you give into the devils wiles, you step out of the protective zone that is designed for those who abide in Him and you step into an area that is not safe. It will never be OK or safe to agree to follow the leading of the enemy.