Beloved in the Lord,
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
On Ash Wednesday we began our journey into the wilderness together.
I am not sure what it is like for you, but for me the first week of Lent tends to greet me quietly. Yet, in that quietness, in the stillness there is a gentle intensity as it invites me to step away from distractions, to confront the wilderness of my own heart, and to face with honestly the depth of my need for God’s grace.
Scripture tells us vividly that our Savior Himself was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, facing temptation, hunger, and isolation. (Matt. 4:1-11; Lk. 4:1-13) He willingly entered that harsh, hard place. He willingly endures trials and temptation. Why? To secure victory – to triumph where we so often stumble. Jesus met temptation head-on, not relying on the strength of His flesh and bones, but firmly clinging to God’s Word. Even as I think about it now, I am reminded of His powerful words, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)
During this Lenten wilderness, we are reminded of how often we can be distracted, and how easily our trust can shift from God’s promises to our own efforts. Perhaps we feel overwhelmed by worries or distracted by desires. Perhaps we are burdened by guilt. And it’s here, in the wilderness that the truth is revealed to us: that apart from God’s mercy, we are hopelessly lost.
Yet, wonderfully, it is precisely here, amid our vulnerability and need, that we encounter the true depth of God’s love.
Our wilderness journey isn’t one we undertake alone. It is not a path we journey by ourselves. No. Christ walks beside us. Our Savior, who has been there before, is with us, and He is guiding and guarding our every step, holding us close to Him.
And He doesn’t stop there, in the wilderness. He who overcame temptation in the wilderness later went willingly to the cross, bearing our sins and struggles, becoming our righteousness, our redemption, and our peace. (2 Cor. 5:21)
As we journey together during this Lenten season toward Calvary, let’s strip away the illusions we carry about our own self-sufficiency, our own strength and power. Let’s strip away all of these false pretenses that we are able to face it alone, that we are capable of going it alone. Let’s strip away any notion that the power is within us, and that we come before God with anything more than the sin and the iniquity that makes Christ’s sacrifice necessary. And, as we do, let’s confess our sins and burdens openly to our Lord, knowing that in honest confession, freedom is found. Remember, after all, the words of 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Trust the Word that never fails, and that our Lord never forsakes, His promises that stand firm even when our hearts waver.
And as we journey together, let’s support and encourage one another. This Lent, ask yourself who around you might need your prayers, who needs a word of hope, who simply needs your presence. Our wilderness is never meant to isolate us. Rather, it is meant to bring us closer together as we lean collectively into Christ’s strength.
Lord, grant this unto us all.
Now may the peace of the Lord that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus even unto life everlasting.
In Him,
Pastor Wyatt McIntyre
