The Wilderness Experience

 The Wilderness Experience:

Read Luke 3 and 4: 1

Before Jesus started his ministry, he was baptized by John. When Jesus was baptized, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove and a voice came from heaven saying "You are my beloved Son, in you I am well pleased". So, we see that, Jesus was fully filled with the Holy Spirit before he started his ministry. 

After this , the Holy Spirit in him led Jesus to the wilderness. A wilderness is any place that is uninhabited and abandoned. For 40 days there, he was tempted by the devil and during those days Jesus fasted.

What is a wilderness ?

There are times in our life when we need to travel to the wilderness. Don't ask me what the wilderness looks like. Your whole being will know once you get there. It can be a time of loss of a loved one or it can be a time when you struggle with your sin or it can be just a lonely time when you feel you have no one who cares for you. It can be any situation in your life that makes you feel small, lonely, desperate, thirsty and all you have is the devil to face each day.

What to do in the wilderness?

When you are in the wilderness of your life, then, just do what Jesus did. 

    1. Be filled with the Holy spirit

    2. Fast. Kill that old man, that Adam in you, that flesh that corrupts. Nail him to the cross. Galatians 2:20 says that our flesh is crucified with Christ and it is no longer us but Christ lives in us. Romans 12:1 says we have to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. We need to place our  bodies as an offering in the tabernacle so that it can be crucified and done away with. And then it  will no longer be us but Christ who lives in us. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying we need to commit suicide. Jeremiah 17:9,10 says how corrupt the human heart is. And when we fast our flesh and its desires weaken. We can overcome.           

    3. Let your spirit man grow stronger feeding each day on the Word of God. Man does not live by bread alone by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Food helps our flesh to grow and God's word is food for our soul. Just like food, we need to take it everyday. And one day when we find ourselves in the wilderness, the word of God will sustain us there.

What happens after the wilderness experience:

Jesus was tempted in everyway possible for days. He went through it so that he can understand what it feels like when we go through it. He does not want us to face anything that he himself has not faced before. He knows what its like because he has tasted it before. He understands and the best part is he overcame. And so, we can overcome too.

Hebrews 4:15 says "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin".

Jesus overcame and so can we because we are his children.

Life is not fully a wilderness journey. It is like a season. Neither is it just a one time experience. It comes and goes. But, it prepares us for the work (purpose) ahead that God has planned in our life for His glory. It makes us ready for the things ahead.

Dear God,

Help me to understand that the wilderness is just a season in my Christian walk. Give me provisions (grace) to go through it. It may be a gloomy place to be, but that's where I get to overcome the flesh, the devil and the world. You replenish me with treasures that only the wilderness can give. My spirit becomes strong for the journey ahead. And Lord, after we go through the wilderness,  I know that you will bring a breakthrough in my life. After that you will Shine through us.  You will minister to the world through us for your Glory. 

In Jesus name. Amen.

Dear God,

Kill those eyes, those eyes that lust after things and people.

Kill that evil tongue, that tongue that is useless.

Kill those ears, those ears that listen to gossips and ignores the cries of the afflicted.

Kill those hands, those hands that selfishly hoards things for itself and seldom gives.

Kill those legs, those legs that runs to all the wrong places

Kill that evil heart that wicked heart full of filth

Kill that mind, that mind which devises wicked schemes and makes a snare for others

And Lord after all the killing is done,

Dear God,

Give me new eyes, your eyes that looks with love and compassion

Give me a new tongue, your tongue, full of grace and the Word of God

Give me new ears, your ears that listen to the sufferings of others

Give me new hands , your hands that extends help to others

Give me new legs, your legs that goes spreading the gospel

Give me a new heart, your heart that feel the way you do

Give me a new mind, your mind that thinks your thoughts

So that when you return, I can come home with you and dwell with you as your child.

In Jesus name I pray

Amen