By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

Am I Forsaken?

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“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” 
Matthew 4:1 English Standard Version

The desert, by definition, is a deserted place, a place devoid of people. Jesus was led by the Spirit after His baptism into the wilderness, the desert.  There, with no human support or fellowship, the devil came to tempt Him.

Do you feel all alone, forsaken by all other people?  Do you feel the devil attacking you in a vulnerable, lonely place in your life?  When our Lord was in that forsaken, lonely place, the devil tempted him multiple times. Satan tempted Jesus to disobey God’s will, to assert His own will instead of the Father’s will.  And when He was tempted, Jesus responded by quoting the Word of God and choosing to obey the Lord instead of His own wants and desires.

When you and I find ourselves in a lonely, forsaken place and feel the devil tempting us to disobey our Heavenly Father and assert our own will, we can turn to God’s Word for protection and promise, for God’s presence even in a lonely place.  In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was tempted by the devil to follow His own will and avoid the suffering of the cross.  Again, devoid of human support as His disciples slept, Jesus prays and calls upon the Lord’s help in His greatest trial.

Because our Lord Jesus was tempted but chose to follow His Father’s commands instead of His own way, you and I are given help in our time of temptation and loneliness.  The Lord will not desert us, His Word is forever true, and the peace and forgiveness that Jesus won upon the cross assures us of God’s presence and help in our time of trial.

Lord, thank you for being with me and for your sure Word in times of trials and temptation.  Thank you that you will never abandon me for the sake of Jesus.  Amen.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado