Day 4: Yours is the Kingdom
The devil took [Jesus] to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8-9).
Our Father and our God, You, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods (Psalm 97:9). Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all (1 Chronicles 29:11).
Your sovereignty was never in dispute when the Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil for He responded to the tempter: “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10). But the temptation gives us great insight into the wiles—the clever schemes and ruses— of the enemy.
The Lord Jesus knew that a time has already been set when "The kingdom of the world [would] become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). That did not stop the deceiver from offering what he knew was not ultimately his, to the Son of God—the rightful heir and owner.
We, too, have been given the sure promises of Your word. Help us to see, and believe, and understand these truths with the clarity and the confidence of our Lord Jesus. Help us to look forward to the time when the song of God's servant Moses and of the Lamb will be sung in Your holy presence:
“Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear You, Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3-4).
In the interim, help us to apprehend the dangers of an enemy so ruthless and audacious that he would attempt to deceive even the Son of God, the very embodiment of truth. Help us to use the power of Your word to refute the lies and deceptions when he offers us "all this" in place of God.
Strengthen us in our areas of weakness, fear, and vulnerability, so that these may not be exploited with false promises, cheap imitations, and worldly agendas. Teach us to look to You for our every need—food, safety, protection, security. Fill our lack with Your overflowing presence, so that we worship only You.
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