Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1
My first week of school was amazing. The content was deep. The fellowship with other believers was great. Then I came home.
Three short days later I’m sitting in my neighborhood park and it all had become puff. A memory. Slowly I felt myself drift from God, bending in on myself in my own anxieties, absorbed in feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness. Trapped in a circle of remorse at my own weakness. It happens so fast. It also happens to you.
The Spirit, in His initiating kindness, brought lessons from my class back to mind. Jesus himself was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested (Mt 4:1). If the Son needed the wilderness, so do I. God leads us into comfort to strengthen us, and at times into the desert to test us, so we can see that He alone is enough. He is my everything, in the classroom and in the park.
I was also reminded, even in the desert, God is looking at me with eyes of love. Because of Jesus, I can now look at the Father and see Him looking at me. The veil is gone. By faith we stand in His presence now.
By faith, in this moment, see your Father looking at you. See Him looking at you the way you look at your kid asleep in their bed. This is not something you earn but a gift, a result of Christ’s finished work.
God looking at you, looking at Him, looking at you.
When shame pulls you back toward the wilderness, Jesus turns our face toward Him. That turning is repentance, and it is His gift that enables you to look and see His face. It’s a gift given to us because we are in union with Christ. It’s a miracle.
The Next Question
- Where has consolation moved to desolation in your life this week?
- Where are you trying in your own strength to turn your gaze back to God rather than letting Him draw you near?
- What would change today if you believed the Father is looking at you look at Him look at you?
On another note…
Mark your calendar. Three upcoming Dallas based PCPC Men’s events to explore. Click on the Links below to learn more / register.
Men’s Night of Worship Thursday 8/27/26 @ 630pm