Overbooked & OverwhelmedNäide

In Exodus 15 the Israelites weren’t just physically parched after going three days without water. They were spiritually parched too. They were dwelling on their circumstances, giving in to discouragement, growing bitter toward God, and distracting themselves with temporary idols. But what did God do? He made the bitter water, their only source of water in the wilderness, sweet and satisfying.

Now, look to Jesus’ wilderness experience. There is a stark contrast between how Jesus navigated His wilderness and how the Israelites navigated theirs. Both were spiritually challenging, dry, and testing locations. Whereas the Israelites allowed their spiritually weary souls to succumb to distrust and forgetfulness, Jesus pressed in. He allowed barren wasteland to lead him into a deeper, and more fulfilling, relationship with His Heavenly Father. Matthew 4 tells us that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the enemy, Satan. This wasn’t a punishment or a bait-and-switch situation. No, this was a divine test.

Matthew 4:2–3 says, “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ ” The enemy hit Jesus where it hurt the most. After forty days without food, He was starving. With a gnarly right hook, the enemy swung. He taunted Jesus to create food out of thin air. Then he taunted Jesus to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple to prove He was the Savior. And finally, the enemy taunted Jesus to bow down at his feet and worship him. But Jesus didn’t take Satan’s blows lying down, and He certainly didn’t waver. With every test, He answered with a promise from God’s Word.

This is our example; this is our blueprint. This is the first step we must take in our most distracted, stuck, and spiritually stagnant seasons. The enemy would love to deprive us of feeling God’s presence and love in the wilderness, but the Lord wants to—and will—strengthen us in the wilderness by replacing the discouragement we feel with His hope, His son, Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, I confess that I have resembled the Israelites in the wilderness rather than having the strength and endurance that Jesus demonstrated. Please forgive me for grumbling, and please encourage and strengthen me when I go through difficult times. Amen.