Prepare for Easter

Thursday, March 5, 2020

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time. Luke 4:13 NIV

Is Satan real? Jesus would say he is. He met him face to face more than once. Luke 4 tells about the wilderness.

He attacked everything about Jesus – his relationship with the Father, his humanity, and his ambition. Jesus had been contemplating the wonder of his baptism and talking to God about the ministry that was just beginning. Having fasted for 40 days, he should have been physically weak, but he was strong. Satan went after Jesus with all he had, but Jesus triumphed!

Not only is he real and attacking, but he is persistent. In 2000, Pastor Richard Evans preached a sermon in our church in which he said something I don’t ever want to forget: “The devil never gives up until we give in or until we die.” I wrote Pastor Evans’ words in my Bible that day, and I read them occasionally to remind myself of how persistent my chief adversary is.

We don’t need to be overwhelmed by him because Jesus Christ has completely defeated him. He’s still wandering around but not for long. We need not dwell on his presence, but we should acknowledge that he hates God who is out of his reach. If he can’t get to the Father, he can harass the children.

He knows that the business of the Father is important, and he wants it to fail. If he can convince us he is not real, it’s easier to cause little skirmishes to prevent the Father’s business from being done. In the wilderness, Jesus taught a lesson we need to learn.

Father, Thank you for delivering us from the Evil One. Help us not to allow him any place in our lives. Amen

About My Father’s Business:

A Lenten Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Spring 2010
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator