July 4, woo hoo!
Mark 8:31-33
In honor of Independence Day, Peter has a real independent thinking moment in today’s verses. Jesus is trying to tell the disciples about the events to come and Peter ‘rebukes’ Him. Can you imagine rebuking Jesus? I wonder what he said…”Shame on you Jesus for talking like that. You know good and well none of us would actually let anyone kill you!” Maybe he thought Jesus was just saying those things to get them to show their loyalty. Or maybe he heard the truth in it, and was just scared. Either way, he was thinking from a worldly perspective instead of from God’s. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (vs. 33b NIV) That is not the most startling part of this verse though. What really stands out is when Jesus says to Peter “Get behind me, Satan!” Wow! This is a humbling thought. When we go against God’s will, we are actually siding with Satan. There is no gray area, no in between. You are on God’s side or you are on Satan’s side. It makes all those little ‘harmless’ sins – like a white lie or a little gossip – seem not so harmless after all.
This country was founded on God, but has strayed quite a bit since then. Don’t let that happen to your own life. Let’s do our best this holiday (and everyday) to NOT make Satan happy! Happy Independence Day! And congratulations for doing your bible study even on a holiday!
Principle: Interfering with God’s will is partnership with Satan.
Application:
1. Do my words reflect God’s perspective or mine?
2. Where are my ideas, opinions, or plans being used by Satan to hinder or frustrate Christ’s goals?
3. Where am I tempting someone to reject God’s will because it involves suffering or sacrifice?
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Good thoughts, Sarah! I have never heard the voice of Satan but this verse shows that his temptations come through other voices. These voices can be people we love and trust or total strangers. For Jesus the voice was that of a devoted follower. We have to have discerning ears. Satan can use any voice to get you off track. By the way, Jesus can use any voice to show you his truth!
ReplyDeleteWow! the part that stood out to me was do I choose my interest or God's. I did not look at the other part as when I choose my interest I am really siding with Satan, that is a very humbling thought. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I think your statement that Peter was thinking from a worldly perspective instead of from God’s says so much. And to partner with Satan, what a horrible thought. To have an Automatic Godly reaction to life’s everyday challenges would be a wonderful prayer each morning. Or should I say WILL BE a wonderful prayer each morning:)
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