Can you imagine spending 40 days in the wilderness?
Can you imagine spending 40 days being tired, hungry and uncomfortable plus
facing temptation by Satan? The 40 days in the wilderness couldn’t have
been much fun. It would have been easy for Jesus to get discouraged, scared, or
feel run down by the experience. However, you might be quick to think, no
way. This is God’s Son and we learn that with the help of the Holy Spirit and
with the assistance of the angels, Jesus not only survives, but he emerges from
the wilderness energized to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom to the
world.
I’m sure most of you think that you are in a
wilderness surviving this brutal
winter. It’s minus 2 degrees at this moment in Bethany. On Sunday, I
received a phone call from a senior neighbor who reported that her heat will
run out sometime this week because she was told by social services that there are
no more funds to subsidize her heating bills.
When you face a wilderness moment, you feel alone
and unsure about what to do next. For this sweet lady, her wilderness was
about freezing to death. Your wilderness might be a family member or issue at
work. Your wilderness might be the result of a poor decision or an
illness. Wilderness moments can pop up in an instant and, in some cases, it can
feel like you will never find your way out. I have called the ministry of
“last resort” in Genesee County to see if the agency can provide a voucher for my
neighbor’s fuel bill.
When we find ourselves in the wilderness, we can
find hope in the good news that Jesus has gone to the wilderness before us and
overcome the temptation and confusion that wilderness can bring. When we find
ourselves in the wilderness, we can find comfort in the knowledge that God will
be with us, just as God, through the angels, was with Jesus. Just like
Jesus, when we face and overcome difficult times, we can emerge stronger, more
confident and more connected to God.
God watches over us as we pray: “For he will
command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm
91:11).
