August 6

Life will challenge us on every side—and the more so if we are determined to serve the Lord. The enemy of our soul is unlikely to interfere with our plans and schemes if they involve only our temporal desires. Because he is the god of this world, it serves his purpose to divert us from heavenly goals by rewarding our preoccupation with temporary, earthly acquisitions.

But if we set aside the worldly things that moth and rust corrupt in order to pursue the treasures of Heaven for ourselves—and to endeavor to share them with others—we will meet with his unrelenting opposition. The evil one will taunt us for our foolish waste of time. Often those taunts will be spoken through people whose respect we prefer to have.

The Lord who sees the end from the beginning has a word of encouragement for those who endure the slings and arrows of the enemy as they follow Jesus, as they try to serve the purposes of His Kingdom. In I Corinthians 15:58 it says, “My beloved brothers, be steadfast and abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in His behalf is not in vain.”

In those moments when the enemy of Christ would divert us from the path the Lord has set before us in order to pursue worldly gain; in those moments when we are chided by those around us who are attaining worldly success while we are pursuing heavenly goals; when we are a failure in our own eyes—remember that Jesus sees and He affirms we’re on the right course!