The Bait of Satan

Genesis 50:20 - “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many.” - NLT

We just finished our journey with Jesus and even learned about what our journey should look like in the light of the empty tomb. Jesus calls us to be disciples and to follow Him. Are we really following Him? Has the world gotten to us and made us a little upset?

Joseph, in Genesis 50 has every right to be offended by what his brother’s did to him. They tried to kill him and then sold him into slavery. When finally brought back together, Joseph had an opportunity to hold an offense against his brothers, or to forgive them and help them. Joseph understood that being offended wouldn’t help anyone, not even himself.

When we hold on to offense, we are simply drinking the poison that we wish our enemies would drink and expecting it to effect them. The Bait of Satan by John Bevere was written in 1994, long before the internet would invade our everyday and smart phones would be at our beck and call. He understood that when a human being gets offended and holds onto it, the devil loves to use it to tear us apart from the inside out.

How can our walk, our journey with Jesus look different in light of understanding that we should be the least offendable people on the planet, thanks to a Savior who saved us long before we knew Him. The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:13, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Even the worst of all sinners knows the importance of not being offended.

I am praying for you this month. That God opens doors that offense has closed and that the full power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed in your life. Time to follow Jesus!
​- Pastor Mike