West Salem Trinity UMC

In reading today from Luke 4, the temptation of Jesus, I read the commentary from the Renovare Bible on 4:1.  It says this.  "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,..."  Comments--The wilderness gives Jesus strength. It is not simply a place of negation or temptation. It is also a place of preparation and perceptiion, absent of human power structures and controls, a wild place where supernatural forces move unfettered--a place that can empower, depending upon how the experience is handled.  Our wildernesses and deserts are not our ending. It is the Spirit of God who leads us about in them. They are our opportunities.

   How often do we look at our wildernesses as a time of punishment rather than as a time of opportunities to grow in our faith, to trust the One who leads us during those times?  A point for thought today might be, "Do I feel like I am in a wilderness right now?"  If so, we may need to listened to our hearts and check our response.  Maybe the Lord is just trying to help us become stronger and trust him more for our journey of faith.  Let go and let God have control.

God Bless