Lenten Devotion: Meeting God in the Wilderness: Tested, Refined, and Restored

First Sunday of Lent Devotion

The Bible Project has a series called The Wilderness. The Wilderness is a place different from the Garden Land (The Garden of Eden). It is a place where God meets His people in their adversity and trials. There are several types of wildernesses - there is the dry desert land; the rocky mountainous land; and the land where shepherds graze their sheep, but also has wild beasts and deep ravines.

God brought Israel out of bondage into the wilderness. Why did He do that when He could have led them on the King's Highway directly into the promised land? Instead He leads them into the wilderness. Why? A couple of reasons: 1) To test and see what was in their hearts. Would the nation be fully devoted to God, since He miraculously saved them from a life of slavery? Or would the nation rebel and follow their foolish, selfish, carnal hearts? 2) The wilderness route also protected Israel from other nations who would either lure them into idolatry or kill them.

In the Genesis passages we see that God created humankind from the dust of the earth. Man was given life by the very breath of God. Man lived in the Garden Land, in harmony with God and beast. We know how the story ends - eating of the forbidden fruit which resulted in shame, which caused Adam and Eve to hide from God, where they were then banished from the Garden Land and sent into the wilderness. We also being sons and daughters of Adam are sin-filled; ashamed. We also hide from God where we banish ourselves into aloneness, loneliness, and feeling forsaken.

In Psalm 51 we see David, a man after God's own heart, yet a sinner. David lays his sin-filled heart before God the Father and pleads for mercy. He appeals to the character of God. He knows God the Father is loyal in His love, but also must judge our sin. What does David do? He says "I know my transgressions (rebellion) and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment" (Psalm 51:3-4, ESV). God knows the intent and motives of David's heart. David is restored, because he confessed his sin and repented. David's spirit was utterly broken. He is utterly humbled. He has eaten of the forbidden fruit. He is ashamed. He hides his sin from God and even from himself until the mirror of the prophet's words pierces his heart and breaks him. Where would David go, and to whom would he turn? He goes to His heavenly Father whom He knows is true to His character. He knows that God is loyal and true in His love which is steadfast and merciful and he would be forgiven and restored.

In the Romans passage there is hope. The judgment of one man's trespass brought condemnation and death to all humankind. The death of Jesus conquered death. "But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men" (Romans 5:15-18, ESV). All who come to Jesus Christ in faith and believe He died for them on Calvary for their sins, and repent and believe are forgiven and have eternal life.

In Matthew 4 we find ourselves again in the wilderness. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness after His baptism to be tempted by the devil. What does the evil one do? The accuser, the deceiver tempts Jesus to stop trusting God and to seize power on His own terms. Do you want life on your own terms? Do you want to take control of your life and live autonomously? The evil one would love for us as image bearers of God to do just that in our circumstances. The evil one hates us because we are made in the image of God. We also at different seasons of our lives are led into the wilderness BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Why? God wants to see what is in our hearts. We might say: "God, prove to me you love me!" Do we at times say: "But God!!!!!!!" God is testing us in the wilderness. He is not tempting us. He is disciplining us; refining us through our sufferings. Will we obey and trust Him in our wilderness?

We can do all things by the strength and power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. We must be connected to the true vine, for apart from Jesus we can do nothing. Remember Jesus conquered the evil one on Calvary. Jesus has delivered us from temptations of this earthly life and will continue to deliver us from evil. He desires to give us an abundant life, filled with joy….even in the wilderness.