5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:5-6 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/exo.20.5-6.NIV.
The temptation of Christ in Luke 4:1-14 highlights a truth we seldom are aware of as believers: the wicked one will entice us to pay homage to him, to bow down and worship him. The devil wasn’t just taking advantage of Christ’s situation at that time…he was luring Him to worship him. He didn’t succeed. But today, he does with us on the receiving end on many occasions. Verse 5 reminds us that our God is a jealous God. He’s One who shares His glory with none. There are instances in our lives when we’re enticed to worship something else other than God. Do we succumb or do we succeed through the Spirit? One of the ways we could gauge our commitment to God is through resources He grants us. Do we utilize them to His glory? The talent, skills and abilities He’s given us. Do we use them to serve Him as we serve others? In any undertaking…is our object self gratification of glorifying God? Do we truly worship Him in Spirit and in truth? Our desire of God should come from within. Not only do we gain from our love for God but so do a thousand generations to come after us. Our children…their children…an unending chain of blessings awaits all who choose to love God. But those who don’t suffer up to the third and fourth generation. God’s mercy is real. He doesn’t extend His punishment indefinitely. But His mercies extend to generations beyond. He’s a God full of mercy and slow to anger.
LIFE SCRIPTS 
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