Walking in the Wilderness

 

Walking in the Wilderness (Mark 1:12-13)

“At once the Spirit made him go into the desert, where he stayed forty days, being tempted by Satan. Wild animals were there also, but angels came and helped him.” (Mark 1:12-13)

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“That’s it, then. I’m going to walk with Jesus, and see where this takes me.” That’s what I said when I heard the voice of God speak to Jesus at his baptism. Little did I know that walking with Jesus would take me deep into the wilderness. For forty days, no less.

The wilderness is a place of desolation. It’s not a place we willingly seek out. Even Jesus was compelled by the Spirit – he was urged, pushed, sent by the Spirit. In the wilderness we have to fight for our survival. In the wilderness we have to spend all of our time and energy looking for that which will sustain us and protect us and provide for us.

It was in the wilderness that Jesus had to choose whom he would trust to sustain him, to protect him, and to provide for him. Would he trust God, or would he trust Satan? Jesus chose to trust God – the One who had spoken to him so tenderly and encouragingly: “You are my beloved Son. With you, I am well pleased.”

But as I walk with Jesus through the wilderness, I discover that trusting God still does not make us immune against the wiles of the Tempter. Even when I trust God, maybe especially when I choose to trust God, the Tempter sneaks into my mind and makes me wonder if maybe there is a better way to have what I need and what I want. The Tempter makes me question my commitment to God: “Is it really wise to put all your eggs in one basket? You have other options, you know. I, too, can give you what you need. I, too, can take care of you. I, too, can even give you glory and power beyond your wildest imagination!”

But walking with Jesus in the wilderness teaches me to say “No” to Satan and to all the temptations Satan throws at me. I, like Jesus, can say “No” to Satan because I know that I cannot live apart from the word of God. I, like Jesus, don’t need to make God prove that God will protect me from danger; I simply trust that the One who declares his fatherly love to me will always be with me, even in times of danger and trouble. I, like Jesus, do not need to seek glory for myself – in fact, I must not seek glory for myself – because who else deserves all glory, honor, majesty, dominion and power but God?

I don’t love the wilderness. I don’t go out looking for trouble and temptation. But neither do I fear the wilderness. At least, not when I am walking with Jesus.

Dear Lord, I pray that the wilderness seasons in my life with strengthen my walk with you. Help me to remember that it is You who sustains me and gives me that which I need for life. Amen.