And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. Mark 1:11-13 NLT
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What makes me think that the Spirit will never lead me into unfamiliar, uncomfortable or dangerous places? The Spirit led – compelled – Jesus away from everything familiar.
Into the Wilderness …
Jesus’s wilderness was a barren, dry place, where all life struggles. My wilderness might be depression, traumatic life events, a crisis of faith; any place where life is a struggle.
Jesus’ wilderness experience came on the heels of hearing His Father say, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” After that, the wilderness feels like abandonment. But feelings lie – I am being led, by the Spirit of God, to a place where I can meet God without distraction, and where He can teach me without interference.
To be tempted by Satan …
It is in the dark times that Satan makes his move. He will tell me that God has forsaken me, that God doesn’t love or care about me – the same lies he told in Eden. He will insist that I have to take matters into my own hands. The temptation is to believe him.
So, now what do I do? I do as Jesus did: use Scripture to refute the lies.
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And in the end, God will transform even the wilderness:
Imagine the wilderness whooping for joy,
the desert’s unbridled happiness with its spring flowers.
It will happen! The deserts will come alive with new growth budding and blooming,
singing and celebrating with sheer delight.
So, with confidence and hope in this message,
strengthen those with feeble hands, shore up the weak-kneed and weary.
Tell those who worry, the anxious and fearful,
“Take strength; have courage! There’s nothing to fear.
Look, here—your God! Right here is your God!
The balance is shifting; God will right all wrongs.
None other than God will give you success.
He is coming to make you safe.” Isaiah 35:1-2a, 3-4 The Voice
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God is doing a new thing in me.
He is transforming my wilderness.
All I have to do is let Him.