Matthew 4:1: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

January 2nd, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

By reading that Jesus was “led up by the Spirit,” we are to recognize that Jesus’ testing in the wilderness was designed and ordained by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was supernaturally led there, so He was right where God the Father and God the Holy Spirit wanted Him to be. He was not in this hard place, this wilderness, because of a mistake or a wrong turn on His part, and the same will often times be true in our lives.

Jesus needed to have some time alone with the Father, as do we. There are regular intervals when we need to take extra time alone with God. These are critical times when we are to stop doing and start thinking, praying, and listening. Many mistakes in life would never happen if we would learn to stop more regularly and give ourselves time to be alone with God. We need to take time to “look” at things from His perspective, before we “leap.” Jesus went to this desolate place to fast, pray, and plan. He went there to prepare Himself because He was going to be tempted by the devil. Satan did the testing, but Father God designed it to happen. Alone and quiet before God is where we all need to put ourselves regularly.

A US Army Master Sergeant, who was known for having a hair-trigger temper and foul mouth, was radically transformed when he surrendered to Jesus Christ. The other NCO sergeants who had known him before he was saved, got together and asked him what happened to make him “so still.” He told them that he had found something that would keep him at peace for the rest of his life and into eternity. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psa. 46:10).

“LORD, we know that we will be tempted today, so we want to take a short time right now to quietly sit in Your presence and listen for Your voice in our hearts.”