And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (Luke 4:5, 6 NASB)
The earth, and everything in it, belong to the Lord. He created it, he sustains it, and scripture is clear about it. Jesus certainly knew it. The devil does have a kind of temporary power here, (where he roams about seeking whom he can devour) but ultimately any power or position he can offer is temporary. We will hear more about glory tomorrow, but any glory the devil could offer would be a poor imitation to the glory to which Jesus was accustomed.
Jesus surely knew that He had come to give His life as a sacrifice for sin. What the tempter was offering was a different path. Jesus could have the way of the cross or the way of the world, but only one way offered redemption for mankind. Two roads diverged, and Jesus had to choose.
Everyday we are faced with choices that make us more or less like Christ. We are constantly at a crossroads. Pray today that we will choose the way of the cross, rather than the temporary thrills the world can offer. Pray that our children, our loved ones, will make wise choices that move them closer to the Lord at every decision point they reach and that their eyes will be opened to the direction their potential choices can lead.
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