One of the passages in Scripture that I absolutely love is Matthew 4:1-11. In the few verses that precede this passage, Jesus is baptized by John, which marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Following that, Matthew says in chapter 4, verse 1, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." It's almost mind-blowing to think that right after Jesus is baptized by John, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
What is the desert?
The desert is obviously a very lonely place with not a lot of anything. Food is scarce, water is even more scarce, and there is hardly any protection from the sun that constantly beats down. Am I the only one who finds it ironic that the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert right after being baptized?
I believe Jesus was led into the desert so his faith would be strengthened, and also to give the perfect example of how we are to handle the "deserts" of life. Verses 2 through 11 go on to describe how Jesus was tempted by Satan. Obviously, Satan's offer of food, God's protection, and all the kingdoms of the world would have been very attractive to Jesus, especially since Jesus had been fasting for forty days. However, Jesus was spending those forty days intimately with God the Father. He uses memorized Scripture to fight-off Satan's temptations (a perfect example to us). Jesus came out of those forty days in the desert having an even deeper relationship with the Father. His time in the desert helped prepare him for the ministry God had planned for his life.
I think the same goes with us. The past three years have felt like the desert to me. I have questioned why God would lead me to a small college in the middle of Oklahoma through the game of golf, and then allow me to enter the largest slump of my life. I came to college thinking by the time I reached my senior year I would be an incredible golfer, looking to hopefully win a national championship, but here I am entering my senior year not on the golf team, but rather doing a part-time accounting internship. This is not at all what I had in mind three years ago entering college. However, I know God has a master plan and I trust that He is leading me down the path He wants me to take.
I am so thankful for where I am today. I am thankful for the internship I have, I am thankful for the university I attend, but most importantly, I am thankful for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. The "deserts" of life are some of the most incredible seasons we will ever experience. It feels like the sun is always beating down and there is no escape from the heat. It feels like God has forgotten about us or betrayed us, but in reality, God is right there with us. Satan's temptations will always look attractive, but we have to use the power of prayer and God's word to fight off those temptations, trusting God will provide our every need.
God has lead me through what seems like the desert for the past three years to prepare me for the ministry He has planned for my life. I have said this before, the last three years have not been the most fun, but they have definitely been the most beneficial years I have ever experienced. I know there will be tougher times ahead than what I experienced the past three years, but I also know Jesus is bigger than any "desert" that lies ahead.
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There are many of you who are going through extremely difficult times right now. I am sure some of you feel like you are going through the "desert" and the end is nowhere in sight. Life is not easy. It was never promised to be easy. Some of you are going through situations where no word of encouragement could even bring the slightest comfort. I cannot relate to the pain some of you are going through. The one thing I do know is that God is right there with you. He may be leading you through this time in the "desert" to prepare you for a future ministry he has for your life. He is faithful.
Below is a link to a song I heard today in church. The lyrics brought me to tears (yeah, I'm a softy). If you're going through a difficult time I hope these lyrics bring comfort and hope.
Blessed to know all of you,
Kyle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1bXG4WIesA
