Based on “What Satan Doesn’t Want You to Know” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 11/7-8/09,
Message #MB395; Daily Devotional #5 - “What’s Your Passion?”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) “Christianity is no fun; you won’t be able to party with your friends anymore.” “You’re going to have to give up all the things you love to become a Christian.” “All the Church wants is your money” These are all thoughts that Satan plants in our minds when he wants to deceive us. He is out to steal, kill, and destroy and will even use the gifts that God has given us to distort our thinking. Satan wants us to become entrapped with our gifts rather than letting us use them as God intended. What he doesn’t tell us in his deceit is that the momentary pleasure that he offers will bring sorrow and pain almost immediately. But remember, Satan provides the deception; it is we who provide the heart to be deceived.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Satan is THE master of deception. Look at the world. There is no limit to the ways he deceives. Money is one of his favorite and most successful tools. How many people do you know in your own life that would not come to Christ solely because they fear that they would have to give up their personal wealth to follow Him? As Christians, we know what the Bible says. Our money is not ours. We know the story of the young man who actively sought out Jesus but gave up his eternal salvation because he didn’t have the faith to give his money to the poor and follow Him (Matthew 19:16-23). One of the thoughts Satan loves to put in our minds is that “All the Church wants is your money.” Even as Christians, we struggle with this. God gives us money to provide for our needs and to do good works with, not to satisfy our own selfish desires. Most of us use money to buy things, pay bills, or engage in activities. It is so easy to give in to the lure of worldly “luxuries.” But think about it, do you even remember what you spent the majority of your paycheck on when you find you don’t have the money to pay an unexpected medical bill or your child’s school expenses? If we didn’t spend it on something memorable, chances are we didn’t spend it the way God intended. The world promotes this “More, now!” lifestyle, but it is not God’s way. One of the most difficult steps of faith we will ever take is to believe that God will take care of us if we spend His money as He directs us to. If we want to know what we truly “need” to live on, we need only look at the homeless, or how a missionary in the field lives, or even better, how Jesus lived, then gauge our spending on that.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Money is only one of the many ways Satan deceives. By the time we realize that we are in bondage, we’re trapped. Another deception that Satan offers is that there is no way out. But God offers us freedom from Satan’s bondage through the blood of Christ and a way to fix our broken lives through His Word which is found in the Bible. We have, in essence, left the arms of an abusive parent (Satan) and come to the arms of the One who is kind, warm, and loving (God); a parent who will always guide us and never deceive us. God does not disappoint. Satan offers momentary happiness; God promises us joy through salvation. Yes, we are asked to repent, which means giving up our sinful lives, but oh, what joy we receive once we remove Satan’s deception from our lives.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Acts 26:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
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