Jesus went out into the desert to be changed. He went out to be prepared, to be strengthened through weakness and resisting temptation through a complete dependence and trust in His Father. Our Father. He went out to be changed for the Mission, the Purpose that lay before Him.
The thing is, Jesus had a choice. He could have let the world change Him out in the desert, or He could be changed through His Father. Thankfully, He chose the latter.
For years, I’ve said that people don’t really change, they only realize their potential. And I guess this is true from a perspective. But I’ve come to realize that to truly reach your potential, you need to be changed in some degree. And this type of change, this positive change that can help you realize this potential, is only possible through the Grace of God.
I know this because I’ve witnessed this in others, and I’ve experienced this. God can heal us. He can change us. He can transform us and bless us beyond our imagination – if only we put our complete trust and faith and full dependence in Him, not in what the world has to offer, not in what satan tempts us with.
When we confess our ultimate and complete faith in Christ and surrender, He can change us. And He will. And that will prepare us for our mission, our purpose, and the path that lies ahead. Jesus, becoming Who He Is, was no different in that respect.
The thing is, when we are weak, this is when we are most fragile. This is when the devil looks to strike – when we are in a weakened state. And it’s not only in deserts of pain and trial and need, but also when things are going well, when we get comfortable, a little lazy, and let our guard down.
These are times when perhaps our spiritual life, our prayer life is a desert of dryness, when we’ve either turned away from His Spirit, or are in doubt if He is even there. The devil looks for these opportunities, and he sees them before we do, and he strikes.
But then it is also in these deserts of weakness where God is closest to us. It’s a spiritual battleground right before our eyes. It’s like in the old cartoons, where the little devil sits on one shoulder, and the angel on the other, and the person in the middle makes the choice.
Except in real life, its serious. It’s not a joking matter. satan wants to destroy your soul, and will offer you any false pleasure to do so. But then God is there. And through the temptation and the darkness, I’m reminded of a verse from song by Lauren Daigle:
Where are You now
Lauren Daigle, Look Up Child
When darkness seems to win
Where are You now
When the world is crumbling
…I hear You say
Look up child
Look up child. In the spiritual battle in our lives, when the darkness is fading in, we look up to Jesus, there in His radiant light. And we confess our ultimate faith in Him, saying I know You’re in control. I trust in You. You are my Rock and You are all the strength I need.
Jesus looked up and praised Him. We can do the same.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
Romans 10:9
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved
And the devil leaves for a time. Until the next opportune time.
You see, this was just a battle. But the war rages on. But through these deserts in our lives, through these Lents, our trials, and the even the deserts of worldly prosperity, through every battle – Jesus can change us little by little. Sometimes it’s a profound change.
And like Jesus in the desert when in His weakness and when tempted, the Child looked up to His Father, we look up to Him. And we can in fact, be changed. We can be changed and we can realize that potential and continue that mission before us. Look up. Look up to the Lord, see Him this Lent, and let Him change you.
