In the Wilderness

 “At once the Spirit sent [Jesus] out into the desert, and he was tempted in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan.” (Mark 1:12-13a)

In the wilderness, it’s only you and God.

In the wilderness there are no cars, there is no internet service, there are no modern-day creature comforts and conveniences. 

In the wilderness the path that you must walk is arduous – loose stones to twist your ankle, exposed roots to trip you up.

In the wilderness, all pretenses are stripped away; it is just you, and God.

But God is enough. More than enough.

Just you and God – that’s the whole point of the wilderness experiences in the Bible. When the people of Israel were made to wander in the wilderness for forty years, it wasn’t so much a punishment for unbelief as it was a lesson in faith and trust in God for the rising generation. 

The wilderness is where we learn what it means to trust God for life.

Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan. We think of Jesus as being all alone for those forty days, just him versus Satan. But Jesus wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by the Holy Spirit. God was with him throughout every moment of those forty days.

The temptations that Jesus experienced were meant to test the determination and direction of his faith. Whom would Jesus trust for life? Whom would Jesus worship and serve? Into whose hands would Jesus entrust himself?

The season of Lent, which begins today, is modeled after the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness. Historically, Lent has been observed as a period of preparation for the celebration of Easter. During the season of Lent we intentionally reflect, not only on the glory and majesty of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but even more we reflect on the reason for which Jesus had to die and be raised in the first place. During the season of Lent we take seriously our own sinfulness, and we are called to renew our faith in Christ and our determination to be his faithful followers.

I urge you not to rush to Easter. Let these forty days be for you a time in the wilderness. During these forty days, be mindful of the choice that is always before us: Whom will I trust for life? Whom will I worship and serve? Into whose hands will I entrust myself?

Let these forty days be a time when it’s just you and God in the wilderness.

Because God is enough. More than enough.