Wilderness

He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels began to serve Him.

Mark 1:13 (HCSB)

I love the wilderness. There is nothing I would rather do than be outside, hike and explore places that are wild, beautiful and uninhabited. I have always had a dream to hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. But while I yearn for the rugged beauty of the wild I also appreciate and appropriately fear the "wildness" of the wilderness.

Maybe I've never noticed. Maybe Mark emphasizes it and the other gospels don't but when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness it was more than Satan to contend with. Jesus was bombarded with it all. I had never noticed. Of course we know the importance and the challenge of Satan's temptation. But Jesus also faced the physical rigors of the wilderness and all while fasting for 40 days.

Let me share an insight. When we face our "wilderness" challenges there is often more than one challenge to face. In Jesus situation He faced a Satanic, spiritual challenge but there was also a physical challenge and also a challenge of living in the wilderness of a fallen world. (can I say lions and tigers and bears . . .)

Here's the point! No one ever said that being a Christ follower was easy. We will face challenges and wilderness testings. Our testing will have a spiritual side but also a worldly and physical side. But in all of this don't loose heart. God will be faithful. After all Jesus knows what the wilderness is like!