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| Saturday, April 11, 2009
Devotional: Wilderness Writer: Tan Wai Jia"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." (Matthew 4:1) It happens with mechanical precision almost every time. Life's worst events hit us when we're on a high with God. One moment you feel an indescribable intimacy with Him, fired up to claim the world for Jesus, and shortly after, a series of problems pummel you down. Looking back, you realize this isn't the first time you've hit the rocks soon after a mountain-top experience. There seems to be some sort of trend, and it baffles you. But should it? A pattern like this is familiarly evoked in Matthew 4, where immediately after Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil to disobey God, test Him, and reject God for Satan's offer of wealth and power. Although our Singaporean desert is not physical but spiritual, we still face the same temptations to disobey, test, and reject Him. It seems easy to doubt God's faithfulness when we are thirsty with no water in sight. Your God is not here. You are alone. Evil voices creep into our unguarded minds. And you can't help but ask: God, you hear me? The bible reminds us that the desert is a place of struggle. Formidable evil forces battle with God's saints, because "our struggle is not against flesh and blood... but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms". (Ephesians 6: 12) In the heart of the wilderness, we are seduced to lose hope and give up on Christ. Endless deserts roll out ahead and the lull between petition and fulfillment, thirsting and being quenched grates us painfully. God, how long more? You there for me? We forget that desert periods have a divine purpose. They seek to remind us that when everything we do fails, God is always in control because we will find Him, the only one to rely on. During the long wait, we will seek the Living Water freely available for us. Jesus cannot deny Himself - He is the one left standing when the Devil leaves. The desperation of the desert period turns to a passionate pursuit for Him. Our God will "make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19b). We may lose our way, but in every trial, good things come forth to "those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose". (Romans 8:28) His spirit-filled water strengthens our faith. The tempter came and told Jesus to throw Himself down, to fall down and worship him, to turn the stones below him to become bread. But Jesus, instead of bending down, stood firm. He not only stood firm, but told the devil off with scripture. We too, like Jesus, can stand, speak the word of God out and overcome. We can Speak and Stand firm, putting on the full armor of God, "so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand". (Ephesians 6:13) As we press in and stand with God with our armor of deepened faith, how then shall we fear the evil one as we speak out with confidence, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." (Matthew 4:10) In the wilderness, let's continue to trust God and His plans to perfect our faith. For His grace shall be sufficient for us to stand, to speak out against the devil's wiles. Indeed, when we fix our eyes on the cross and our source of Living Water, what new springs shall arise! "Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him." (Matthew 4:11)
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