Delighted in the Wilderness

I'm always taken aback as I read the gospel of Jesus as recorded in Mark. When Jesus is baptized it is recorded the heavens opened and the voice of God spoke proclaiming, " You are my beloved Son; I take delight in You!" (Mark 1:11) The reason this always gives me pause is how God proclaims His delight and love before Jesus ever truly began His ministry. So often we think we have to perform or behave in a certain way in order to "earn" God's love and approval. Before Jesus performed any miracles or preached to the multitudes, God was delighted! So often people say they will come to church or accept Christ once they get their life cleaned up. While it's true Jesus lived a life without sin, through His death we too can come to God unashamedly and boldly. He is ALREADY delighting and madly in love with you!

Mark continues to share how immediately after this event of God's approval, Jesus is driven into the wilderness for 40 days. Interestingly enough, it was the Spirit who drove Him to go into the wilderness. The devil had no control over Him being there, yet he monopolized on the opportunity to tempt Jesus. All the while satan was tempting Him, the wild animals were with Him and angels served Him. I believe a similar event happens to us upon discovering who we are in Christ. When we learn how beloved we are, the enemy begins a full on attack. There is power in discovering our identity in Christ. As long as we listen and believe the lies of the world, we are of no threat to satan. The moment our heart grasps how our Father God views us and we begin to glimpse our purpose for living, satan is immediately threatened. 

Just as Jesus was served by the angels, we too have a guiding voice surrounding us in the form of the Holy Spirit. When satan attacks or we feel we are in the wilderness of life, we must remember we have forces working for us we will never see. It is also important to remember the wilderness is not always a bad thing or a place designed by the devil. Jesus was led there by the Spirit! It was a necessary part of His process. It is in the wilderness we find the extent of our strength. It is in the wilderness we learn to depend on something beyond ourselves. If we want to be more like Jesus, we often must begin by going through the wilderness.