How quickly the Holy Spirit "drove" Jesus into the wilderness after His baptism by John at the Jordan. Mark's uses his favorite timing/action word "immediately." It seems there was no time for Jesus to savor the glory of the Spirit descending and filling Him for His mission nor to bask in the glow of the Father's voice, "'You are my beloved Son', with you I am well pleased" (Mk 1:11). Instead the descending Spirit "drove" Jesus into the wilderness, as Matthew adds, "to be tempted by the devil" (Matthew 4:1). Think of it. From the glory of the Triune God being revealed to the badlands. From a spiritual "high" right into testing and temptation. It seems that this is often the case. We experience God's nearness in a heart-ravishing way or see God win a great victory in our life and almost "immediately" we find ourselves thrown into a spiritual wilderness face to face with Satan, our adversary. I find that often I am not ready to transition so quickly from the blessing to the battle, and I am an easy target for the tempter. But such is the nature of life on this side of final redemption (1 John 3:1-2).
Jesus did not fail in the wilderness. He did not fail because His heart was committed to pleasing the Father in every way and not simply basking in the Father's warm affirmation. When the "props" of family and friends in Nazareth (Mark 1:9) and the spiritually lively environment along the Jordan were divinely exchanged for the wilderness the committed heart of Jesus showed itself. It is the same for us. When the props of God's nearness or exhilirating victory are removed and God chooses to allow the tempter access to our hearts, will my commitment to comfort and spiritually warm fuzzies show or will a dogged commitment to love the Lord my God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength be revealed?
Oh, may I have the heart of Jesus that beats from the environment of faithful love for the Father.
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