What lies behind a victory

I just got out of Matthew, and am now beginning a journey with Mark. Here's something that spoke to me Friday morning as I was drinking some really nasty hotel coffee...

• Mark 1:9-13 - "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him." (esv)

That would have been a pinnacle moment in my life, hearing God say that I was his child and that He was "well pleased" with me. Wow, talk about game over, I can relax now - victory! That's what we live for is to please God (not man, which I find myself concerned with way too much!). If I heard what Jesus did that day, that'd be it for me.

"Kevin, you just heard God say that He was well pleased with you, what are you going to do next?" - "I'm going to Disneyland!"(well, maybe Disney World - it's closer!).

What do you do after a victory? Relax, take a breath, ... let your guard down? It's at these times when we CAN'T let our guard down. Why not? You fight so hard for a victory, when you get it, you wanna take a breather and relax. It's at these times that we are most vulnerable to the enemy's attack. IMMEDIATELY after Jesus heard those victorious words from His Father, he was led into the wilderness to be tempted. That's the best time for the Devil to attack us because for most of us, we let our guard down after a victory. Don't do that, the church already has far too many casualties! Tommy did a great job tonight telling us how to "not let our guard down", by tucking it into our belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14). After a victory, do you feel the need or draw to read the truth? Ask yourself this question, "How is my private truth intake?" You can't tack on Sunday and Wednesday either. Are you feeding yourself? Are you trying to make it through the day on your thoughts or on God's? The time we spend in his word will be a reflection on that, and so will the direction of our life.

Next time you have a great day, next time you experience victory... be careful. Don't relax too much and let your guard down. In my bible, beside this passage I wrote these words, "Temptation lies just behind a victory." That's what God showed me in his word Friday morning drinking some pretty nasty hotel coffee.