If you continue in your spiritual life, placing a high importance on growing in your relationship with God through His Word, then there is something that is inevitable. You will be led to be tested. But God does not test us just to be arbitrary. There is always a purpose behind the test. Testing will develop our faith, and our dependence on the Lord and His Word.
I realize we’ve looked at this passage before. Isn’t it amazing that we can go back to the same passage, and learn something entirely different each time! This principle of testing is found in the temptation of Jesus.
Matthew 4:1-3
1 Then Jesus was led
up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Let’s be realistic here. Do you think that the humanity of Jesus WANTED to go to a wasteland wilderness?! Don’t we have a natural tendency to avoid situations where there is no visible means of provision? Don’t you think Jesus felt the same way? (Hebrews 4:15) Would you? Heading into this wilderness was completely contrary to logic and reason. There was plenty of food to eat in the city! But He went because the leading of God the Holy Spirit was more real to Him than logic and reason.
Do you want God’s will for your life, whatever it may be? If you do, then God will lead you to a wilderness, because that is God’s classroom! He has to teach you to depend solely on the Lord. If God takes you to a classroom, it’s important for you to learn the lesson He has for you.
Look at how Mark puts this:
Mark
12 Immediately the
Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.
Impelled is the Greek word EKBALLO, which means to throw out or to drive out. There was no question to Jesus that the Spirit was leading Him into the wilderness.
Back in Matthew 4:
2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
I’m not sure that Jesus actually fasted on purpose. There was nothing there to eat! Wouldn’t the natural reaction have been to go back and get some food in the city? But Jesus is right where the Father wants Him to be; right where the Holy Spirit has led him.
What would you do? Would you stay where God has led you and trust Him alone (walk by FAITH), or would you head back to the city for some dinner (walk by SIGHT)?
Wilderness testing is designed to teach you to walk by faith and depend entirely on the Lord and His provision.
Now enter the devil:
3 And the tempter
came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God,
command that these stones become bread."
In the original Greek
the Bible was written in, there are actually 4 different kinds of conditional
clauses, or different “ifs”. This is a
first class conditional, which means that the condition is considered true. Think of it more like, “SINCE you are the Son
of God.” Satan knew exactly who Jesus
was! No extra charge for the Greek
grammar lesson.
This shows us one of the biggest tests we will face in the wilderness. It’s the chance to take things into our own hands. How hard would it have been for Jesus to turn the stones into bread? If we were in the wilderness, how hard would it be for us to walk back to the city to have dinner? The minute you do, you become independent, and quit walking by faith! The leading of God the Holy Spirit must be so real to you that you can remain in the middle of the testing.
Many times the leading of the Holy Spirit will seem contrary to reason and logic. What about when Peter walked on the water? Peter had to step out of the boat in FAITH, contrary to the laws of nature! It was only when he took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on his situation that he started to sink.
Make no mistake about it – as you grow, God will lead you to the wilderness. The key is to keep your eyes on God. Faith is the conviction of things not seen, on which we must all learn to depend.