Day Seven

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 have shaped 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. “I thought God doesn’t lead us into temptation,” they protest, and not without good reason. The idea that God the Father leads Jesus into a place where he will be tempted by the devil seems unfathomable. And yet the gospel writers are clear it was the Spirit’s work leading Jesus into the wilderness.

Perhaps part of the problem lies in translation, because the same word in Greek can be translated as “temptation” or “trial.” But even if we choose the latter and distance God from the word “temptation,” we are still left with the reality that God allows his only Son to be driven into a wilderness where he will be physically weakened and spiritually provoked. He will 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 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?

God is.
God loves.
God provides.
God transforms.
God sustains.
God guides.

As we follow Jesus to the cross, seeking the way of self-denial, God may call us into the wilderness. But take heart. He knows what he is doing. Yes, what happens there will test us, but more importantly it will shape us. As it says in the first chapter of James:

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”—James 1:2-4

Lent is the way of the wilderness, but this is not bad news. In God’s purposes it is nothing but joy.

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 go

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) 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?

2) Read through the three temptations Jesus faces in Matthew 4. How would you describe and name the temptations he faces? How would you describe his response? What might we learn from his response about the temptations we face in difficult, trying times?

3) Read through this journal entry by Henri Nouwen (which seems very timely to situations we face today). Reflect on how it describes a time in the wilderness…what is happening? What is the invitation? How does his response speak to you?

“You are living through an unusual time. You see that you are called to go toward solitude, prayer, hiddenness, and great simplicity. You see that, for the time being, you have to be limited in your movements, sparing with phone calls, and careful in letter writing….The thought that you may have to live away from friends, busy work, newspapers, and exciting books no longer scares you….It is clear that something in you is dying and something is being born. You must remain attentive, calm, and obedient to your best intuitions.”—from Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom, HarperOne, 1999.

4) The lyrics of the song say this about a time in the wilderness:

But right here, right now
Is where I start to know You better
So right here, I'll stay

How do we come to know God better in the wilderness? How does that knowledge shape us?

5) Read and reflect on this verse. Let it lead you into prayerful 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 (ESV)