I was reading in Matthew 4 today and couldn’t get passed the first verse: “Then Jesus was
led into the wilderness to be tempted (tested) by the devil”
Jesus’ 40 day journey into the wilderness is a replay of Israel’s 40 year wandering in the wilderness. Hungry, weak, and vulnerable, the devil himself comes and tempts Jesus to deny God the Father, to lose faith, to sin. Using the Word of God, Jesus success where Adam, Israel, and every man who has ever lived fails. That is why Jesus is our sinless Savior and perfect substitute in death and life.
What I was struck with most, however, was the fact that the SPIRIT LED Him into the wilderness. And as I recalled the the story of Israel’s from Exodus through Joshua. Specifically, I considered how the Spirt led them at different times. A times, the Spirit led them into a time of freedom from slavery; at other times, the Spirit led them into a time of testing; sometimes the Spirt led them into a time of victorious battle, and still other times, the Spirit led them into a time of peace, rebuilding, and rest.
The question is never IF the Spirit leading, but always WHERE He is leading. In response to Frodo’s statement about his own trial, “I wish none of this had happened.” the wise fictional Wizard Gandalf said “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
What kind of time is He leading you into right now? Freedom from slavery? Temptation and testing? Battle and Victory? Or Peace and Rest?
If you are not sure…why don’t you ask Him?
