Devotionals

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Mark 1:12-13 "The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him."

Isn't it interesting that right after Jesus was baptize and empowered by the Holy Spirit, He then confronted trouble. Jesus was now encountering Satan through temptation. And it wasn't just for a short moment and that's it, no. But for 40 days. So don't be alarmed as you live for God and then encounter various opposition. Indeed, we have to because it comes with the package of living for God.
Jesus wasn't alone, the bible says the "angels took care of him.“ Obedience to God also comes with his provision and protection. He doesn't just say, "serve me," then leaves us isolated to fight the battles one on one. In the spiritual world, its never one on one battles, but multiple forces. Even Jesus had 12 soldiers with him fighting the battles of faith. God and his armies against satan and his. If we live with the awareness that God is always with us which is true, we become unstoppable. However, not because of us but because God is with us. If the angels protected Jesus, don't you think they will not to you? In fact, I can assure you that they are already working around you. They are fighting in the spirit world, so our natural eyes cannot see it. Natural is for natural and spiritual is for spiritual. Just think about it, if God wasn't with us, we wouldn't even be here right now. Why? Well because Satan is strong enough to wipe us out completely. The reason he hasn't is because we belong to God and God protects what is his. Even Satan knows this. Remember the man Job? satan even said, "You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does" (Job 1:10). And even though satan was aloud to attack Job, he wasn't aloud to eliminate Job's life. After God said yes to satan, right away satan attacked Job in every angle of his life as shown in Job 1:14-19. He lost his property, animals, servants, even his own children whom he prayed for daily. Even his own health was struck. If satan was given the opportunity to take a life, he would with no hesitation.
The battles today are no different from the battles they faced back then. We can win these battle only with God's help. As the scriptures say, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" (phil. 4:13). Every battle can be won only through Christ. If God didn't want us to win these battles in life, why then would he offer any help? Send his angels? Or even put a wall of protection around our life? Remember, serving God doesn't eliminate problems. Serving him helps us to overcome them. Many of God's people faced difficult battles and situations as shown in the bible. I'm sure they didn't want to go through it but they did because they knew in their heart that it was God's will. Jesus even prayed in the night before the crucifixion, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine" (Luke 22:42). He knew the battle and fight he was about to face was going to be one of the hardest he has ever faced in his life. But he was able to, why? Because God was with him and God gave him the strength to do it, "Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him" (Luke 22:43).
We can trust God as he leads us, he knows what he's doing. We don't have to know everything, and God doesn't have to give us an expiation for everything he does. Sometimes even just by looking at the problem can seem difficult to overcome. But that is why its a faith lifestyle. The scriptures say, "For we live by believing and not by seeing" (2 Corinthians 5:7). If we see that it doesn't make any sense, remember, God always does things out of the ordinary. Things that don't even seem logical. Think about the miracles in the bible, the wonders that God performed. It was like nothing anyone has ever seen before. Believe it. Don't be surprised, instead, be encouraged

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