This post was last updated on September 2, 2026

Day 103 (Year 3)

Serving God Alone

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written: You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'” (Matthew 4:10 NKJV)

Satan tempted Jesus, claiming that it would give Him the wealth of all the nations only if He would bow down and worship it. But Jesus firmly rejected its proposal. There are two key words in today’s scripture: “worship” and “serve”. The word “worship” comes from the Greek word proskuneo, meaning “to do reverence to, bow down before, or prostrate oneself before.” The word “serve” comes from the word latreuo, meaning “to perform sacred services, to offer gifts, or to officiate.” Believers turn from being under Satan’s authority to following God, thus we need always to worship and serve Him wholeheartedly.

As we study God’s word, we must uproot our selfish desires in order to worship and serve Him. When Satan tempts us, including with various glories or wealth, we must learn from Jesus, rebuke Satan, and command it to leave instantly. Jesus said to Satan that it should serve God alone. But some people want to serve God while also serving glory or wealth. The single-minded devotion Jesus speaks of is a great challenge for many. We who desire to turn from Satan to God must guard our hearts and not yield to the pursuit of glory or wealth, but only acknowledge Him as our one and only Lord. For believers who earn money, it is vital to regularly give offerings to guard our hearts from the deception of wealth. After all, there is a great difference between earning money for God and His people and for selfish desires.

Self-righteous people always find it difficult to serve God because they can scarcely bring themselves to obey His words and thus can hardly accept His expectations and guidance. When others point out their mistakes, they so often refuse to reflect on themselves and insist instead that the problem lies with others. When faith-related problems arise, they also easily blame Him. But we who open our hearts and obey the truths of Scripture will break free from self-centeredness. Besides, some people actually feel they cannot survive without serving others—always doing things for others and are satisfied with making others happy. They find it difficult to serve God alone. However, when we understand that God is the One we truly depend on and the provider of our lives, we can then become single-mindedly devoted to serving and worshipping Him.

Reflection questions:

1) Is your attitude toward God one of constant prostration, wholehearted worship, and reverence for Him alone, but not living for yourself or others? Why?

2) Are there any wrong attitudes or habits in your life that hinder you from wholeheartedly worshipping and serving God? If so, how will you remove these obstacles?