Weather report from heaven: Sunny and bright with an abundance of light, and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”- Matthew 4:1-3
The wilderness means different things to different people. If you say to someone that you have just returned from the wilderness, they probably think you went camping or shot the rapids in a raft or canoe or went mountain climbing. They would think that you went to get away, to relax and recharge. They may think that you needed time alone to think about your life, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. To escape the frantic pace at which we live our lives in the 21st century. The wilderness conjures up vivid memories for most people. For me, it represents freedom, beauty, open space, quietness, serenity, adventure and most importantly, time for personal introspection and reflection. I have found my soul many times during various ‘wilderness’ excursions.
But in my Christian walk, as I am sure is the case with many other folks, the wilderness can represent something more scary. It can represent the times that truly test a man’s faith. It can represent our black hole experiences, where we are alone and afraid, with little feedback or communication from God. But I have learned that our scariest experiences can also be the place of our greatest growth. Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness to prove his faithfulness to the Father. Jesus was weary and alone, tired and vulnerable. But during this wilderness experience when He suffered greatly, is where He grew so much to prepare to launch his earthly ministry. He had to go through this experience in order to be prepared for what the Father was calling Him to do. Jesus stood strong when tempted and tested by rebuking the devil with scripture, responding to the enemies’ challenges each time in Matthew 4. From the Scripture above he responded:” it is written that Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 “ It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Matthew 4:7 ” Away from me Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Matthew 4:10
The fact that Jesus, the Son of God, suffered greatly when tempted in the wilderness should give us all perspective when facing our own wilderness experiences. In fact, Hebrews 2:18 tells us, ” Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” That He understands what we are going through in the darkest hours of questioning our faith, and that He is able to help us and intercede on our behalf when we’re wondering where God is in our lives, when our prayers aren’t being answered, when we can’t hear God’s voice, is what has kept me going many times. This makes Jesus so personal and real to me because He went through it and can relate to it. When we are in a wilderness experience, as I have been for awhile now, when God is building up our trust in Him through a season of preparation, there is no other practical way to get through that except to know that our savior, Jesus Christ, suffered as well and can relate to what we are going through. God uses our wilderness experience to teach us how to surrender our dreams to Him, how to persevere during a difficult trial, how to leave our comfort zones, so He can help us reach our full potential and best glorify Him. It is not easy and it can be downright terrifying. I have felt like an emotional wreck on many occasions during my current wilderness experience. But I know God is in the resume building business and He often uses our wilderness experiences to help mold us into what He needs us to be. That usually requires some pain on our part, and it always requires a greater level of patience and trust. God knows how badly we want our dream to be accomplished, He wants it even more. He must refine us first. For when our “lack” is finished, whatever that is for each of us personally, then our preparation in the wilderness is finished. We are finally ready to claim our dreams and glorify our God!
Prayer: Father God, our wilderness experiences can be excruciating as they often entail long periods of not being able to hear your voice. This is when we must grow in our faith, to live outside of our comfort zones, in order to be used by you for the great purpose for which we were created. Keep us strong during the periods of fear that accompany our wilderness experiences through the promises found in Scripture and through fervent prayer. Thank you that Jesus is our role model for perseverance. We trust in your Holy Name. Amen!
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