Satan offered everything he had to Jesus in one moment. Your life is shaped by critical moments. What will you do with the moments of decision that God gives you?
Key Scriptures:
Luke 4:4-8; Judges 15:20; Judges 13:5; Judges 16:26-28; Hebrews 11:32-33; II Samuel 12:13; I Corinthians 15:52
Key Points:
- It doesn’t take the devil long to show you what he can offer. The devil doesn’t have any new tricks; he can show it all in a moment. But God saves the best for last. God will take all eternity to show you what He can offer you.
- The devil always offers more for less. The devil will tempt you with more of a reward for less commitment, sacrifice, or concentration. But the devil never fulfills his side of the contract.
- Moments determine your years. Jesus was tempted with a shortcut in a moment. We are blessed and highly favored because of a moment when Jesus chose God instead of the devil in Luke 4:5. What you do in critical moments has repercussions for years to come. Don’t sacrifice your future on the altar of the present moment.
- Don’t become the victim of a weak moment. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve lived for God; you can mess all those years up with one unguarded moment. That one moment, if you give it to the enemy, can destroy everything God has planned for your future. Don’t become like everyone else and give in to temptation.
- You don’t get many moments. If you fail, God will always give you one more chance. God doesn’t write you off when you take advantage of a moment; He writes you into His plan and future. If you have failed, God is giving you one more moment, even today, to change.
- There are ramifications for your decisions. No one is immune from temptation. When David sinned, he still had consequences, but he also had forgiveness. It’s better to have forgiveness and deal with the issues than only have issues and not God’s forgiveness.
- Throw in or go in. You can throw in the towel and quit or go in and serve. What will you do with your towel? Don’t throw in the towel on others because God never threw in the towel on you. Christianity is not about what you can get out of God but what God can get out of you.
Final Thoughts:
Critical moments have lasting consequences, and no one is immune from stumbling. In those moments, you must live a life that is guarded. If you give in, God will always offer another moment for redemption. When a situation gets tough, don’t throw in the towel and quit; go in and serve.
