Pointless Persistence

This week is Holy Week.  Churches all over the world are gearing up for services throughout the week.  Some start on Wednesday and some start on Thursday.  People will come especially on Easter Sunday as the family tradition or because someone invited them, they were curious, or they genuinely want to be there.  I have started working on my messages for this week's services.  One of the hardest things to do is work on Easter messages as a stay-at-home dad of two boys who are four and 18 months.  It is especially hard when the youngest one is not feeling well.  As I was reflecting on the day, I realized that Satan is being pointlessly persistent in his attempts to distract me and I'm sure other church leaders around the world from the meaning of this week.  Something else that happened today is that our church received news that our burner for our heat is done.  That is a cost that we did not expect and it is a rather large cost I might add.  It's a cost that we don't really need right now considering we have to tie into the town sewerage system this year which is going to cost a lot of money as well.
A few years ago this would have left me stressed to the max.  I still get a little stressed, but this is what I have learned as I have grown older and maybe a little wiser: Satan is defeated!  Holy Week should remind us of this fact more than any other time.  Satan pulled out all the stops to thwart God's plan to save His people from our sins.  He tempted one of his closest followers to betray him.  He incited his own people to shout crucify him.  He used the Romans to nail him to a tree and die a horrible death.  But, the story doesn't end there.  Three days later Jesus walked out of that tomb, ALIVE!!!  We should never grow tired of that story.  That is the Gospel and it is beautiful!  Jesus is alive!  Satan constantly tries to throw a wrench in the plans of God, but that does not mean that Jesus did not rise from that grave.
One of my favorite praise songs is called "Sing to the King."  The reason I love it is because of the line that reads, "Satan is vanquished and now Jesus is King!"  Let this truth sink in.  Do not let Satan and the world defeat you because your King has already defeated them.  Jesus sits at the right hand of God because the work is finished.  Satan is done.  His persistence is pointless.  So, let's sing to the king who is victorious and reigns over Satan no matter what he tries.