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Matthew 4:1-11 (CEB)
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Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him.
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After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving.
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The tempter came to him and said, "Since you are God's Son, command these stones to become bread."
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Jesus replied, "It's written, People won't live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God."
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After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him,
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"Since you are God's Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won't hit your foot on a stone."
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Jesus replied, "Again it's written, Don't test the Lord your God."
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Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
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He said, "I'll give you all these if you bow down and worship me."
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Jesus responded, "Go away, Satan, because it's written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him."
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The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.
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Personal Wilderness
- Larry Myers
Isn't it fascinating to read the scriptures and actually see and understand how God's plan comes to fruition? In this passage, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to facilitate the cleansing of the heart and spirit of Jesus. It was time for Jesus to come to grips with who and what he was/is. It was hot and arid in the desert, with no food and little water and the sun beat down upon him mercilessly as he wrestled with the enormity of the world-changing ministry of his Father that he was about to undertake. He was God, but also born to humankind. He was sent as a role model for all to follow,
and sent as a sacrifice that all might believe and through forgiveness and salvation come to partake of the Kingdom of God. But, who was there attempting to change the outcome? Why, Satan! Fallen from grace, he was hoping that he could once again successfully use his powers of persuasion, as he had in The Garden of Eden.
However, Jesus remained steadfast in the presence of Satan, refusing to succumb to the many temptations that were thrown at him, keeping true to the tasks laid out before him in prophesy. And God allowed these temptations to occur, because this was Jesus' wilderness to explore, his burden to bear and, his victory to win through faith and perseverence.
 Each of us have our own personal wilderness to explore. God leads us there to experience the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, we meet with many temptations along the way, but through the faith we have in our call to the Kingdom, and the perseverence to work our way through our personal temptations, we see the light of Jesus, master our personal wilderness and take our merited position within the Kingdom of God. How glorious is that!
Doesn't it feel sometimes as if we are modern-day Jobs, with many apparent woes heaped upon us to whine about? We often think that we suffer endlessly, with obstacle after obstacle placed directly in our path. However, have you stopped to think about how you are managing those obstables? Are you persevering or maintaining? Be careful that dealing with your obstacles does not simply constitute a "way of life" in and of itself. Without Jesus, our personal wilderness can become like a prison for us, from which we cannot fathom an exit. Continued captitulation to temptations lead to unforgiven sin that can keep us trapped in our wilderness, as were the people of Moses during the Exodus.
My Dad had a dream which he chased throughout my younger years until he was able to purchase a small fishing resort in Northern Minnesota for what we would now consider to be a song. He became his own boss! Granted, it was a tough life! We had 9 housekeeping cabins and a few acres of campgrounds with only the 4 of us to manage operations and customer service. Yet it brought our family so much closer together and provided a wholesome environment for my sister and I to finish growing up. Imagine - lots of fishing, swimming and up to 100 new people a week during the summers to meet and get to know! It was, quite simply, wonderful.
 After a few years of hard work and happy times, Dad entered into his own personal wilderness. Sometimes, our wilderness is just around the corner, ready to insinuate itself within our lives once again. In his case, the money sources seemed to dry up and fade away. My parents were not particularly business-oriented and cash flow became a problem. He and my Mom both took extra jobs to make ends meet and my sister and I continued to work the resort in the summer. Dad continued to persevere throughout the rocky times, but it became very tough and he found his faith being sorely tested as Satan continued to buffet him with temptations to question God's plans.
And then Mom had a heart attack. It was severe enough that it put an abrubt end to the functioning of the resort. In addition, my sister and I were coming of age and would within a year or two be leaving for college, leaving Dad with even more stress about how to maintain the dream. In the end, Dad felt that he had no choice but to sell his dream and go back to the mundane world of eking out a living in jobs that he hated. When he finally was able to retire, times remained harsh, but Mom was there to participate, for a while. She succombed to her many physical ailments and passed away just a few years later, leaving my Dad to wonder what he was to do now. This was coupled with the guilt he felt in his belief that his dream had, indeed, caused her premature death through overwork.
This was not true, of course, but sometimes we get trapped within our personal wilderness, forgetting to truly turn ourselves over to Jesus, who is big enough to handle all of our cares and woes. We can always turn to Jesus for forgiveness and protection against Satan's temptations. But it can be hard for us to realize this.
After a couple of years of remaining within his personal wilderness, Dad came to me one day and confessed his worries and woes. He felt trapped and didn't know how to move on. He was wandering, lost in his wilderness, his perceived guilt consuming him. The years on the resort had become a larger-than-life past glory to be longed for and relived over and over within his mind. It was then that I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit (I have no other explanation) and I asked him to consider that his life was like a book with many chapters. Each chapter was an important segment of his life - a story arc, if you will. The chapter regarding the resort had been completed now and it was simply time for him to turn the page. Jesus was there to help him. I saw an expression of understanding slowly cross his face as he looked at me and said, "I see what you mean. I can do this!" And he did - and I did as well! We learned together, and I treasure that time together with him to this day, some 16 years after his passing.
Sometimes, we can help others to see the light of Christ so that they may use it as a beacon to light the exit their personal wilderness. Conversely, we can rely upon others at times to help guide us through our own personal wilderness. In either case, the journey through our personal wildernesses is fraught with many obstacles and temptations. Satan is powerful and around every corner, ready to tempt us into remaining lost within our own personal wilderness. But through our faith in the power and minstrations of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, we can see the light of Christ and be lifted to salvation. Satan can hold no sway over us when we realize that Jesus is ever with us!
Through the sacrifice and forgiveness of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, the ultimate victory is his - and ours! Praise the Lord!
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Do you remain within your own personal wilderness? Listen to Chris Tomlin's "I Will Rise" and know that Jesus had a spectacular victory over his own wilderness and will surely help you to see his light and escape from your own personal wilderness!
There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
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Creator God, our love for you continues to grow as our faltering steps continue. Your love carries us ever forward! Help us to see our way clearly to exit our personal wilderness. Help us also to help others through their own personal wilderness. Continue your grace and blessings to us and our church home, Peace UMC. You are always with us as we reach into the future declaring your praises to the world. Through your Son our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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1234 Main Street, Awesomeville, MA ยท 555.555.5555
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