Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matt 4:1
Reflection: Whispers in the Wilderness – We can thank the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering for the bad rap that the wilderness gets in the minds of many Christians. But the wilderness is actually a place of great beauty. In Scripture it is a place of amazing revelation. In fact, the Hebrew word for wilderness (Midbar) is from the words “from” (as in place) “the word.” So it’s fair to say that the wilderness is the Place of The Word or Wordplace. This makes so much sense when
in the seeming silence of the desert God’s word is so clear to Moses, Israel, Elijah … even Jesus. Even a whisper in the wilderness is crystal clear. So if you find yourself in a desert season, don’t be discouraged. God took Israel to the desert to speak tenderly to her there. The Holy Spirit even led Jesus into the wilderness, where the Word was tested… and He answered with “it is written” – in the Word place. Let your desert season be a time to listen for his still small voice and to cling to his word in the face of any test.
Questions: If you are in a wilderness season, what verses in the Bible could you hold onto to help sustain you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I’m in a desert season I pray you’d give me ears to hear your tender whispers and strength to stand on the Word. Help me see the wilderness as the Word Place.
We’re reading the Bible until 16th June with Catrina Henderson, an Aussie girl living in Tel Aviv pioneering and pastoring Hillsong Israel.