What is your wilderness? 

Nobody on this planet lives in such paradise that he or she never experiences the wilderness. Some of us know what loneliness or brokenness feels like. Some are wandering through unemployment or lost in secret sin that they aren’t convinced anyone will understand.

Jesus was baptized by John. The Spirit’s touch. The Father’s voice. Within moments, perhaps while he was still dripping wet, “the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12). The Spirit pushed Jesus in the direction of a desolate place where some don’t survive! Literally, “sent him” means “threw him out” or “drove him away.”

“And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him” (Mark 1:13).

The Holy Spirit pushed Jesus right into the waiting arms of Satan. So intensely painful and desperate was his struggle that angels came to assist and wild animals looked at him with sympathy. But know this: Jesus never left the Spirit’s touch, and he still heard the Father’s voice (through the Scriptures in his dialogue with the devil).

So Jesus conquered the wilderness for you. Your wilderness isn’t ruled by Satan or your sins or fears or your circumstances or the powers of this world. Your wilderness is ruled by God—the Father’s voice, the Son’s tested triumph, and the Holy Spirit’s touch. Don’t be afraid. You’re not lost. Your wilderness is never a random detour.