Words of Reflection
There is an old saying, attributed to Jewish tradition, that speaks to times of trial that come before someone is ready to serve God in all fullness:
“The Holy One, blest be His name, does not elevate a man to dignity until he has first tried and searched him; if he stands in temptation then he raises him to dignity.”
In the life of Jesus, this theme is echoed in his 40-day journey into the wilderness after being baptized by John, the 40-days that shape our Lenten calendar:
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”—Matthew 4:1 (NKJV)
Many people reach this part of the story and want to firmly hit the pause button. Are we really being asked to believe that a loving, benevolent God allows his only Son to be driven into a wilderness where he will be physically weakened and spiritually provoked? That God will permit Jesus to be tested in a way that pushes him to the very limit. Does God really allow that for his children?
The answer, as much as we might not like it, is “yes.”
Think of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac, or Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt, or Daniel serving in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. Think of Naomi and Ruth, widowed and facing an uncertain future. And it’s not just individuals—the Hebrew people face a test of trust after being freed from slavery, and when they fail that test they find themselves wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Like the Hebrews, sometimes we find ourselves in barren places because of choices we have made, but even there God is at work. The simple truth is this: God allows wilderness seasons in the lives of his children. But there is an even more important truth: God allows them for a reason, and that reason is grounded in his love and his ultimate desires for us.
For Jesus, the temptation in the wilderness is all about his God-ordained mission. The devil offers him shortcuts, alternate ways to achieve glory and power, but Jesus refuses. He trusts God. He stays true to the path he had been placed on since birth…a path that will ultimately lead to the hill of Calvary and a cruel, Roman cross. Jesus knows that there is no other way but the way of sacrificial love, and when he emerges from the desert he is acutely aware of who he is and what he was sent to do.
That’s what happens in the wilderness, and in that we see why God might allow these moments in our own lives. Wilderness seasons mold us and shape us. They test us by asking us what it is we truly rely on, what it is we really trust. When everything else is gone, when the comforts and consolations are all stripped away, what will we cling to? Will we seek shortcuts, or will we, like Jesus, hold fast to what we know is true about God?
As we follow Jesus to the cross, seeking the way of self-denial, God may call us into difficult places. But take heart. He knows what he is doing. Lent is the way of the wilderness, but this is not bad news.
In God’s purposes it is nothing but joy.
Scripture for Meditation:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
—1 Peter 1:3-9 (NRSV)
Song: Wilderness
I could pray for deliverance
I could beg You for greener pastures
I could question why I'm still here
Shake my fist and demand an answerBut right here right now
Is where I start to know You better
So right here I'll stay‘Cause even in the wilderness
I know I'm not alone
Even in the desert place
Your river overflows
Even in the wasteland
Through the darkest valley there is hope
'Cause even in the wilderness
You won't let goI could settle for what I want
I could ask for the easy way out
But You've proven You're still good
In the midst of the valley of doubtYou will lead me You will keep me
You will never let me go (REPEAT)Even in the wilderness
I know I'm not alone
Even in the desert place
Your river overflows
Even in the wasteland
Through the darkest valley there is hope
'Cause even in the wilderness
Even in the wilderness
You won't let go
Anna Byrd | Kyle Lee | Michael Farren
© 2017 Fair Trade Tunes; From The Void; Gateway Create Publishing; Farren Love And War Publishing; Integrity's Alleluia! Music
Questions for Contemplation:
How do we come to know God better in the wilderness? How does that knowledge shape us?
Think about the times in your life you would describe as “wilderness seasons.” If you can see how God was using those times to shape you and build your trust in him, spend some time giving thanks for those gifts. If you still struggle to see where his hand was at work in those times, how might you bring those times to him in prayer? Is there someone else you can invite into that conversation?
Spend some time reflecting on this verse from Isaiah. How does it lead you into prayer, worship, and gratitude?
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”—Isaiah 43:2 (NRSV)