If you truly want to serve the Lord with gladness; then you must be ready to soar above the schemes of darkness. Any decision to serve the Lord with gladness will be fought vehemently by the devil. The kingdom of darkness will not allow you to be. Hell will fight you with all her might.
When our Lord Jesus Christ decided to do the will of God with zeal and gladness, He was led to the wilderness and was tempted for forty days and nights. The temptation centered on three key things: His cravings and hunger, His persuasion in the word and promises of God, and his ego and pride.
[Matthew 4:1-11 KJV] “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”
“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.:
“Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
“Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”
Immediately, you decided to serve the Lord, the enemy will tempt you. You will escape the temptation and be able to serve with gladness if you are settled in the following three key things:
- Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.
- Man must not tempt the Lord his God; just take Him at His word.
- Man must neither worship nor serve any person or things except the Lord His God.
Oh yes! I may be hungry but man shall not live by bread alone; I may want the glory and riches and the fame but will not worship nor serve anything aside from the Lord my God.
Until you are persuaded that neither bread, nor impressions, nor pride is anything; you can’t serve with gladness. As we are serving, you will constantly face these tests. The quest to satisfy all craving and lust, the quest to display power and opulence, and the quest to have kingdom power and glory.
May the Lord help all of us to escape these traps in the name of Jesus Christ! May you not fail! May you not be trapped!
I love you
