Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 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.

Devotion based on Luke 4:1,2

There is something good about being with other people. If you are traveling to a new city, it is more fun to have a friend to go with you. Cheering on your favorite team with 100,000 other fans is more fun than sitting in the stands by yourself. If you have a difficult doctor’s appointment coming up, it is good to take someone with you.

At the beginning of his ministry, God the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness of Judea. There, in that wilderness, he faced the devil. Forty days and forty nights, Jesus endured the devil’s twisted truths, his easy solutions, and his deceptive offers. Through the power of God’s Word, Jesus was victorious and did not sin.

We are not in the wilderness across the Jordan but in a wilderness of sorts. We aren’t alone among the wild animals, but we face all sorts of dangers and difficulties. As Jesus was tempted, we will face temptations as well. The same twisted truths, easy solutions, and deceptive offers are on our minds and in our hearts as well.

Jesus goes with us and leads the way through this wilderness, too. We find great hope in knowing Jesus will keep us safe. We find comfort in knowing when we fail to resist temptation, Jesus stands ready to rescue us. He forgives our failures to remain faithful and removes the burdens of our guilt. He encourages us with his reassuring promises to retake our stand on God’s Word and truth. He renews us with his victory to prepare us for whatever temptation we face next.

As Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, so Jesus goes with us and leads us through the wildernesses we find ourselves in. He goes with us and leads us as we are tempted.

Prayer:

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