In the Wilderness
“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” – Matthew 4:2, NIV
Kayla’s plane had just touched down at the airport when she got the call. Her oldest daughter was in the hospital and the doctors didn’t know why she was sick or how to help her.
Without stopping at home to change, she went to be with her daughter. She’d just returned from a mission trip, building homes in an area that had been devasted by a tsunami. She’d felt God’s presence so strongly during her time on the island but when her daughter was sick, she didn’t have that comfort.
When a friend stopped by, she shared her fear that God had left her. “I felt such peace while I was there and now I’m just numb.”
Her friend reassured her that her feelings were normal. “Satan waited to go after Jesus until after He’d spent forty days praying and fasting. He waited until he knew Jesus was exhausted. Any time you experience a spiritual breakthrough, expect to be tested.”
Kayla’s daughter went on to make a full recovery and the experience caused Kayla to see Jesus in a different way. “I’ve always relied on feeling close to God. With my daughter’s illness, I had to lean into faith and trust that God was there, even when it felt my prayers for her went unanswered.”
God, give me strength when I’m being tested. Help me to remember that Jesus was tempted, too. Provide a way out for me so I wouldn’t stumble into sin. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
