May 2
Relying on what’s reliable
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness... Matthew 4:1 (NKJV)
Whenever we break down a biblical principle, it’s always wise to look for it in the life of Christ. While Jesus is quite different from us in many ways by virtue of His deity, He’s also the prime example of what the Christian life consists of…literally! And when it comes to the principle of God working in our lives through a season of separation, we certainly see it in His earthly experience.
It happens here in Matthew Chapter 4, just after He is baptized and just prior to His public ministry. Immediately after the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus, we read that the Spirit led Him into the wilderness. Here, away from the masses and multitudes, Jesus fasted for a full forty days and was tempted by Satan to compromise in His calling as our Savior (Matthew 4:1-11).
Though tempted beyond anything we can conceive of or imagine, Jesus withstood each assault and came through them victoriously. And by doing so, He set an example for us to follow.
You see, Christ didn’t have a lot to lean on while He was being tempted in the wilderness. In fact, when we read through the entire account, we find that Jesus, in His humanity, really only had two things to rely on: the Holy Spirit who had come upon Him, and God’s Word, which He quoted at each turn of His temptation.
Sometimes, the Spirit will work in a similar way in our lives. He will lead us into a proverbial “wilderness” situation, where we find our character tried, tested, and tempted. But God’s plan in all this is that we would do as Jesus did—that we would learn to rely on the most reliable things in life—His Spirit and His Word.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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