The wilderness can be a hot, suffocating space by day and a cold, lonely prison at night. Words of negativity and temptation plague the soul as it grasps for an anchor in the storm of silence. No words from the Father come. No encouragement. Only the challenge to reject fresh words of temptation with sewn words of Scripture presents itself.
Perhaps this place feels familiar to you. Maybe you live in this space now. Whatever the case, Jesus found Himself in this space in Matthew 4. Tempted by the devil himself, Jesus had to reject these fresh words of temptation by holding fast to the Word of Truth sewn in His heart.
Curiously enough, as perhaps you know, the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into this space. It may seem harsh, unkind, or even devious, but God had a purpose in leading Jesus into the wilderness: clarity.
Nothing serves to provide clarity like the wilderness. In the wilderness, the comfort, glamor, and noise of normal life dries up like water through cracks in dry ground. All crutches break, demanding that we decide upon what we will truly lean on. Ultimately, behind the evil words of temptation comes this challenge: who will you be?
Jesus had just finished receiving the affirmation of the Father: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” In that moment, God established the Sonship of Jesus. Immediately after, the Holy Spirit lead Him into the wilderness to answer this question: what will it look like to live as the Son of God?
In the wilderness, Jesus had to answer these three questions:*
Will you use your power to serve yourself?
Will you do miraculous but pointless miracles?
Will you establish a mighty empire to rule over the entire world?
The correct answers to these questions come from the Word of God, and Jesus answers accordingly.
Today, if you are in the wilderness, the invitation to clarify your mission stands before you. God is asking, “what will it look like for you to live as my son/daughter?” Will you use the call that I have placed on your life to serve yourself? Will you use the powers that I have given you for temporal, pointless endeavors? Will you seek to build your own kingdom?
There is much God wants to accomplish in our hearts in the wilderness, and though the enemy is present, the work is for our good. It sets the tone of a season of ministry that can bring the world around us to God. The difference between the temptation of the enemy and the testing of God is that in testing, God desires us to succeed. In tempting, the enemy seeks our failure. Press into God and His Word in the wilderness. He is cheering you on, though all you hear is temptation.
Today, take just one step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to embrace the season you are in. Maybe He wants you to answer the three questions above using God’s Word. Maybe the one step for today is to turn from the intent of the enemy and to seek what God is trying to do in this season. Perhaps today the one step is to ask God to bring clarity to your mission.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Insights on the temptation of Jesus: Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992.