Holy Spirit’s Leading… “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1
Sometimes the Spirit leads us into places of faith that are not fun or friendly. On the contrary, this unknown terrain of life requires intentional trust in the Lord because of the intensity of temptations we encounter. Motivations are made right under the pressure of feeling wronged or being tempted to take short cuts. God and His word become very real in the middle of spiritual warfare, so make sure you are immersed in the truth of Scripture. The Bible is your GPS (God’s Prayer Strategy) when discerning where to go.
It is ironic that in one moment Jesus was enjoying the favor of His Heavenly Father, and in an instant He is doing battle with the devil’s deception. Disciples of Christ experience this also, as one day you celebrate an answered prayer, and the next day you are desperately petitioning Christ for wisdom, healing or direction. The Christian life is not a continuous mountaintop. Instead it is full of ups and downs, plateaus and valleys of death.
Therefore, stay true to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life. Go where He says to go. Especially when it requires sacrifice, devotion and obedience. Listen to the Spirit’s prompting in prayer and look for His leadership in Holy Scripture. Make it your simple prayer, like Philip “Where He leads I will follow”. He obeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading.
“The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:29, 39).
Will I be obedient regardless of where the Holy Spirit is leading? Am I on my way into the desert, am I in the desert, or am I on my way out of the desert?
Related Readings: 1 Chronicles 28:12; Psalm 143:10; Acts 16:6-7; Romans 8:1-28
Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading? How will I respond?
