I always find this time before Easter a time for contemplation. I can’t help thinking of the things Jesus went through and wonder, as Jesus, what he thought about. We know much of that through scripture, but my heart just breaks to think of what he had to go through for us.
We are doing a study on “Prayer” in Sunday School class. More specifically, fervent prayer, the kind that goes from the tips of your toes and the top of your head, meeting smack dab in the middle of your heart. Sometimes it takes a broken heart and spirit to surrender completely and sometimes it is absolute, total faith, knowing full well that you are in the grace of God.
Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness. He went without food and was tempted continuously by Satan. Do you think it was easy for him? He was on earth in human form for us, so I think he was hungry and tired. But everything that happened, was. for. us. The Spirit led him there where we know he was tempted for those 40 days. We know he was tempted in every way and never fled. He embraced and faced down each and every one.
What does your wilderness look like? Is it a tough season with hardships, pain and obstacles? Our wilderness may be an obsession with food, alcohol, gambling or even pornography. Should we avoid wilderness temptation? What is the motivation? Is it pride, fear, or doubt? We are faced with temptation every day. Where does your strength come from? It takes more than “our will”. It takes the will and strength of our Lord, who knows exactly what we are facing.
Hopefully, none of us face the wilderness alone, but still, we face it. Through fervent prayer, faith and love, Jesus will walk through that wilderness with us, every step of the way. Not only did he go through that wilderness, he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for, not his will, but the will of his father, even knowing what he faced. Could we walk his wilderness?
Pray Unceasingly!!
In His light,
Lois
King James Bible
(Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13)
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.