Today’s
Scripture: Mark 1:12-13
“Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the
wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and
He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.”
Words
of Devotion
Jesus had been baptized. The Father had declared that He
was pleased with His Son. We might think the stage had been fully set for
Jesus’ ministry to begin, with everything in place. Yet there was one
additional step: Jesus needed to face temptation.
Yes, even though He was the Son of God, Jesus was “impelled” by the Spirit to
go into the wilderness, where, alone, He would be “tempted by Satan.” He would
be forced to deal with many critical pressures—the pressure to conform;
pressure to misuse His power, privileges, and authority; pressure to seek
personal fame and fortune; pressure to compromise; pressure to yield to satanic
influence; and pressure to abandon His mission.
How would Jesus respond when He was pushed to His physical and emotional
limits? What would He do when there was no one else to lean upon, when no one
else could see what He was doing?
Only when Jesus emerged from this time of testing and temptation did His
ministry begin. And when He emerged triumphant, He was illustrating a pattern
that would be true for all of His followers. For if the Son of God needed to go
through testing and temptation, it’s logical that His followers would face this
as well.
In our flesh, we may feel that these moments are unnecessary. But, in fact,
real ministry only is possible after we’ve been tested…after we’ve been
proven…after we’ve faced temptation…after we’ve had real experience…after our
character has been refined and deepened…after we’re toughened and ready for
battle…and after we’ve matured spiritually and can stand against the “schemes
of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
So if you’re going through tough times today, don’t despair. God is preparing
you for service!
Today's
Prayer: Father,
thank You that You are with me in every situation. Thank You for power over the
enemy. Thank You for helping me to stand in the face of temptation. I trust
You. In Jesus’ name Amen
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