Steadfast in the Wilderness

Steadfast in the Wilderness

Our Steadfast series continues . . .

During Lent, a defining text is Jesus' forty-day trial in the wilderness where Satan assaults him personally.

The wilderness is where the Son of God is tested. He stands steadfast.

Our times of wilderness test us too. And we can emerge steadfast.

Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Spirit. His wilderness was intentional.

Yours may not have be.

You may feel stranded in the wilderness by rejection. 
Failure that left you questioning your worth. 
Grief or illness you did not see coming. 
Or trauma that ambushed you.

You did not choose the wilderness. But you are not alone in it.

The God who was present with Jesus in his wilderness is also present in yours.

Identity Crisis

The devil has an objective — to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Like a lion, he stalks to distort identity and prowls to dismantle calling (1 Peter 5:8).

But Jesus knew who he was, and Whose he was. At his baptism, the Father had declared, "This is My beloved Son."

Yet it was the Spirit of God who led him into the wilderness.

He does not enter the desert as a rite of passage. He enters to experience sole dependence on the Father.

His journey is one of isolation and desolation. Hunger. Thirst. Exposure.

The Son of Man is at his most vulnerable.

The Promise Fulfilled. The Curse Reversed.

Matthew's gospel, aimed at persuading a Jewish audience, presents Jesus as reliving Israel's story. Craig Keener observes that the forty days in the wilderness echo Israel's forty years.

Where Israel grumbled and complained (Exodus 16), Jesus answers: "Man shall not live by bread alone…" (Deuteronomy 8:3)

Where Israel tested the Lord (Exodus 17), Jesus answers: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." (Deuteronomy 6:16)

Where Israel worshiped false gods (Exodus 32), Jesus answers: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve." (Deuteronomy 6:13)

Jesus was steadfast where Israel failed. The promise made to Abraham is fulfilled in Christ.

Robert Webber notes that the wilderness also recalls Eden. In the garden, the first Adam yielded to temptation. In the wilderness, Christ — the Second Adam — overcame temptation.

Where Adam failed, Christ obeyed. The curse was reversed.

Jesus does for us what we could never do for ourselves. His obedience becomes the substance of ours.

Is God Absent in the Wilderness?

When we are in the wilderness, it can feel disorienting. 

Who am I now? Where is God? What is he doing?

In my own wilderness season — struggling with delay, obscurity, and questions without easy answers — I wrote a song called The Wilderness.

God, I know You hear my prayer. 
Though I may question if You care . . .

Throughout the songs (psalms) of Israel, God invites honest dialogue.

God sees you. God cares.

We can be emotionally raw with him without fear of rejection.

Jesus himself cried out from the cross, "My God, why have you forsaken me?"

The pain of your wilderness need not silence your prayer — only strip it down to one true word.

In the Valley of Decision

The temptations Jesus faced threatened his messianic calling. As N. T. Wright observes, each temptation offered a shortcut:

Bread without dependence.
Authority without obedience.
Glory without the cross.

Jesus refuses each one.

The wilderness is our valley of decision. Every temptation, every shortcut is a betrayal of our destiny. The only offer the devil can deliver on is estrangement and death.

Every choice Jesus made in that desert determined who he would be — for the glory of God.

Every choice we make determines who we will become — for the glory of God, or not.

In the silence of the wilderness, the noise subsides. We can hear the voice of God— and choose wisely.

Scripture is adamant about listening for the voice of God's wisdom. Jesus answered every temptation with the word of God. To overcome our trials in the wilderness, we must do the same.

There's a time to move and a time to stay. 
I need Your wisdom in these ways . . .

Luke records the result of his obedience: "He returned in the power of the Spirit." (Luke 4:14)

Jesus left the wilderness with the anointing of God to fulfill his appointed mission.

When we remain faithful, God empowers us to fulfill our calling.

Worship

The final temptation exposes the core issue: worship.

"Fall down and worship me."

Jesus answers:

"You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve."

The wilderness exposes what governs the heart. This confronts us with a decision — what god will you serve?

Trust is the response of worship when our vision is obscured.

I know you're leading me
Though I've been blind to see
You're working everything for the best
Even here in the wilderness . . .

God's presence is not removed, even when he seems far away.

Redemption

Jesus passed the test. Sinless, obedient, proven worthy as Savior.

The Spirit who led him into the wilderness leads us now. And when we are united with Christ, his holiness becomes ours.

Cause there's a goal I plan to make
To be more like Jesus in every way . . .

The wilderness may be a place of obscurity, but this is where Christlikeness is forged.

When the testing was over, angels came to minister to him. The presence of God is our relief and restoration.

Glory

The wilderness anticipates the cross. The Son who endured the desert endured the cross. And he lives today, interceding for us.

Till I hear my Father say well done . . 

If you belong to God, you have a reason for real hope.

Robert Cook said it simply: "God knows. He will meet your need. Trust him and follow through in obedience regardless of circumstance. That's what it means to be faithful."

Our hope rests in the living Christ.

He stood steadfast.

Because he kept the faith, we can keep the faith.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank you that you help us in our times of wilderness. 
Safeguard us through every trial and temptation.
Help us remain faithful by relying on your Word.
For your honor and your glory.
In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Listen to "The Wilderness" on Bandcamp 

PS:  Over the years, I’ve written and recorded several songs born out of wilderness seasons. They’re gathered together in an album called The Wilderness.

If it would serve you, you can listen here:

robstill.bandcamp.com/track/the-wilderness-album-version

ABOUT THE STEADFAST DEVOTIONAL SERIES: 

Since the beginning of this year, we have been exploring what it means to live with steadfast faith. Steadfastness is a character trait essential to growing in spiritual maturity. These companion essays include:

Created with MailerLite