Wednesday for the Fourth Week of Lent
“Comot for here, Satan! Dem don write am: ‘Na di Lord, your God, you go worship, and na only Him you go serve’” (Matthew 4:10). Na so Jesus answer satan for di third temptation. First, Jesus no only refuse to give in to di devil temptations; He still rebuke di evil one himself with firm authority. Second, Jesus no stop for to rebuke satan and im temptation; He still talk di truth wey dey last forever: say we must worship and serve only God.
When God create di angels for heaven and arrange dem for different ranks, He invite each one to worship Him and serve His perfect will. Di book of Revelation 12:4 tell us say “one-third of di stars for sky,” wey mean one-third of di angels, reject God invitation, and dem throw dem comot from Heaven. After dem drive dem comot, these angels wey fall still keep di powers wey dem get by nature. Dem dey use these powers try to spoil God perfect plan, wey be to draw everything wey He create come to Himself. E important make we know say this matter na real, and make we understand di burden wey e put for us as we dey go through life. E even more important make we learn from wetin happen when Jesus face di evil one, and make we follow His perfect example as we dey reflect on di forty days wey He spend for desert.
To rebuke satan na di first way we dey follow our Lord example. To do this, we first need to discern and reject di lies wey di evil one dey throw give us. Apart from that, we must rebuke satan himself. We dey do this as we accept say di devil and di demons wey fall get power to influence us, deceive us, and tempt us. By our own power, we no fit overcome their influence. Na only when we join di rebuke wey we make for prayer to Christ prayer, we fit use Jesus authority talk say, “Comot for here, Satan!” This rebuke must become prayer wey we go continue throughout our life, as we dey always watch well. Di evil one no dey sleep, and e no dey ever stop to tempt us, so we too must continue to rebuke am. We no suppose pretend say di devil no dey, but we no suppose fear am either. Instead, we accept say e dey, and together with our Lord, we dey rebuke am again and again.
Apart from to rebuke satan, we must turn our attention to di higher truths wey God don reveal—wey be say, dem create us to worship di Lord our God and serve only Him. Worship reach di very root of who we be and wetin dem create us for. Worship no dey add to God greatness; God great simply because He be God. But worship dey glorify God, and as we join for worship, e dey increase di glory wey God dey receive from di things wey He create. We dey worship God because worship dey change us to become His children more fully, and e dey draw us to share more fully for His divine life. Na all this God want. He want make we dey deeply united with Him, make we share for His holiness, and make His glory shine through our lives. Worship no be any other thing but pure love, and na only that love fit truly fulfil us.
Reflect on di two voices wey oppose each other, wey you dey hear every day. You must rebuke one with di power of Jesus command, and you must accept di other one more deeply every day. To worship God dey fulfil person. Na wetin dem create you for. Worship go change you to become di person wey God want make you be. E go draw you to share for God life, and for di end, na di only way to get full protection from di deception of di angels wey fall, so that you fit share for God glory wey dey shine.
My glorious God, You don invite everybody wey You create to share for Your life by worshipping You and only You. Through that act of worship, You dey pour out a share of Your divine life upon di things wey You create. Abeg, give me strength to rebuke di devil and im plenty lies, and then draw me enter di life of worship wey You create me for. I love You, my God, and I choose to worship You and only You forever. Jesus, na You I trust.
See also: Di Twenty-Fifth Day: 40 Days for di Foot of di Cross