According to Wikipedia, “Lent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitance, almsgiving, and self-denial— for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the death and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
Conventionally Lent is described as being forty days long, although Sundays are not counted (songs and focus are more somber and reflective during Lent in many churches, but each Sunday throughout the year is considered a smaller-scaled Easter, commemorating the resurrection). The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the wilderness before the beginning of his public ministry where he tempted by Satan.
I’ve been thinking about being in the wilderness lately, probably because I’m going to a James McDonald Bible study (“Lord, Change My Attitude”) that deals with “wilderness” attitudes and focuses primarily on the 40 year wanderings of the children of Israel. Recently, we looked at the attitude of doubt, which can disguise itself in different ways. One of these is withdrawal—from loved ones, from church, from the Word, from God.
Because doubt can be so deadly—just a hop, skip, and jump away from turning into despair, McDonald points out—we need to be around people of faith. Withdrawal helps keep doubt alive; being among those who will consistently and persistently speak words of encouragement and faith into our lives soon drives doubt out of the darkness and into the light that will dispel it completely.
When a person withdraws, then, it is easy to make assumptions about their spiritual maturity or present walk with God. I submit to you that this is a dangerous assumption (as most are, in the final analysis).
The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness because of their disobedience and unbelief, but what about Jesus? Scripture tells us that he was “led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry” (Luke 4:1-2, NIV).
Did you get that? The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. He wasn’t there by accident, or by Satan’s invitation. He wasn’t there because he was in a snit or had gotten mad at the disciples. He hadn’t disobeyed, choosing to run from conviction. The Holy Spirit led him into a dry, rocky place where he was alone. He led him there to do without normal interaction with others and normal sustenance from food. Jesus, fully God and fully man, experienced weakness in the flesh—he was hungry. His strength was sapped.
At his lowest point, Satan arrived, hoping to trip the Son of God up—which just shows you how ridiculous he can be. With every temptation, Jesus countered with the Word of God (since he IS the Word, this is understandable…what boggles the mind is that Satan thought he had a chance!).
There is encouragement for us in this account on so many levels, but what it speaks to me at this particular moment, fresh on the heels of hearing someone talk of another person’s “devastating” withdrawal is that we should be very careful not to judge another person’s wilderness experience.
A good friend of mine was in and out of the wilderness for some time, but was, throughout the experience, able to focus on, worship, and trust in God. Certainly it was a trying “dark night of the soul” for this individual, loving friends, a caring family…and yet, God spoke throughout the darkness, teaching new lessons there than couldn’t, apparently, be learned in the light. There had been a rather stubborn dependence on others, rather than depending solely on God. Things—good things, even—had drained spiritual energy a jealous Father wanted spent in other directions.
Humans have a tendency to equate perkiness with blessing, but scripture clearly reveals that even those with the deepest relationships with God—David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul…Jesus himself…went through their own wildernesses at God’s bidding.
Lord, help us not to judge others when they withdraw or seem lost in the desert, knowing that if you lead us there one day, we will also respond better to a cup of cold water than to harsh opinions. Let us be faithful to pray for them that they will learn quickly all that you have to teach them. And let us be mindful of attitudes and actions that might force us into the desert…may the only wildernesses we wander in be those led by the Holy Spirit, for your purposes and your glory.
Permission to use with acknowledgement of source.
ellenofgillette1@aol.com.
Conventionally Lent is described as being forty days long, although Sundays are not counted (songs and focus are more somber and reflective during Lent in many churches, but each Sunday throughout the year is considered a smaller-scaled Easter, commemorating the resurrection). The forty days represent the time that, according to the Bible, Jesus spent in the wilderness before the beginning of his public ministry where he tempted by Satan.
I’ve been thinking about being in the wilderness lately, probably because I’m going to a James McDonald Bible study (“Lord, Change My Attitude”) that deals with “wilderness” attitudes and focuses primarily on the 40 year wanderings of the children of Israel. Recently, we looked at the attitude of doubt, which can disguise itself in different ways. One of these is withdrawal—from loved ones, from church, from the Word, from God.
Because doubt can be so deadly—just a hop, skip, and jump away from turning into despair, McDonald points out—we need to be around people of faith. Withdrawal helps keep doubt alive; being among those who will consistently and persistently speak words of encouragement and faith into our lives soon drives doubt out of the darkness and into the light that will dispel it completely.
When a person withdraws, then, it is easy to make assumptions about their spiritual maturity or present walk with God. I submit to you that this is a dangerous assumption (as most are, in the final analysis).
The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness because of their disobedience and unbelief, but what about Jesus? Scripture tells us that he was “led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry” (Luke 4:1-2, NIV).
Did you get that? The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. He wasn’t there by accident, or by Satan’s invitation. He wasn’t there because he was in a snit or had gotten mad at the disciples. He hadn’t disobeyed, choosing to run from conviction. The Holy Spirit led him into a dry, rocky place where he was alone. He led him there to do without normal interaction with others and normal sustenance from food. Jesus, fully God and fully man, experienced weakness in the flesh—he was hungry. His strength was sapped.
At his lowest point, Satan arrived, hoping to trip the Son of God up—which just shows you how ridiculous he can be. With every temptation, Jesus countered with the Word of God (since he IS the Word, this is understandable…what boggles the mind is that Satan thought he had a chance!).
There is encouragement for us in this account on so many levels, but what it speaks to me at this particular moment, fresh on the heels of hearing someone talk of another person’s “devastating” withdrawal is that we should be very careful not to judge another person’s wilderness experience.
A good friend of mine was in and out of the wilderness for some time, but was, throughout the experience, able to focus on, worship, and trust in God. Certainly it was a trying “dark night of the soul” for this individual, loving friends, a caring family…and yet, God spoke throughout the darkness, teaching new lessons there than couldn’t, apparently, be learned in the light. There had been a rather stubborn dependence on others, rather than depending solely on God. Things—good things, even—had drained spiritual energy a jealous Father wanted spent in other directions.
Humans have a tendency to equate perkiness with blessing, but scripture clearly reveals that even those with the deepest relationships with God—David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul…Jesus himself…went through their own wildernesses at God’s bidding.
Lord, help us not to judge others when they withdraw or seem lost in the desert, knowing that if you lead us there one day, we will also respond better to a cup of cold water than to harsh opinions. Let us be faithful to pray for them that they will learn quickly all that you have to teach them. And let us be mindful of attitudes and actions that might force us into the desert…may the only wildernesses we wander in be those led by the Holy Spirit, for your purposes and your glory.
Permission to use with acknowledgement of source.
ellenofgillette1@aol.com.
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