In the desert

I have been reading through the life of Jesus and reading through Luke and the first parts of Matthew. I love comparing what is written and seeing it from so many points of view and to learn about it on different levels. I am in Luke 4 right now where Jesus was being tempted by Satan and where he was when this happened. Man, I feel like I can relate to where Jesus was and how He was feeling. But the interesting part of this chapter my commentary pointed out was that, Jesus had one of the best days thus far in His earthly life, He had just been baptized and the Holy Spirit came upon Him. WOW! That is so cool, and then the Holy Spirit led Him into the Desert. Is that what you read too? He lead Him into the DESERT?!?! Why when Jesus had one of the best days, did the Holy Spirit, apart of God, apart of Jesus, lead Him there? Well the commentary mentioned, which I thought was so cool, was that more often than not, the Holy Spirit leads us into the desert to let us know what we are made of. The Holy Spirit didn't lead Him beside still waters, He lead into the desert, I know that doesn't seem right but look at what happened. Jesus was tempted 3 times by Satan, and the best part isn't just that Jesus didn't sin, which is HUGE, but that Jesus let Satan do that. He quoted scripture back at Satan and then began His ministry. I believe that sometimes WE need to know what we are made of, and I sure what to be like Job and be pure gold. Willy told me something yesterday that I didn't know about how gold is made. The goldsmith boils the gold until it is at the highest temperature and the way he knows it is done is that he can see his own reflection in the gold. WOW, that is what Job meant by being pure gold, that no impurity, blemish or flaw is left, just the reflection of the goldsmith. That is what I want to be, just a pure reflection of Jesus. (Thanks Willy for the cool fact) I want to be that way, I want to be JUST a reflection of who Jesus is, that is all I desire. So that nothing of me is left or recognizable but just the reflection on Jesus. WOW! I thought that was cool. I want to make sure that I am seeking Jesus because it says seek Me while I may be found. I want to make sure that my life is seeking Him and finding Him in the midst of my trials, because even though it says that Jesus was left alone in the desert, we are promised that He won't ever leave us. I hold onto that promise everyday! I read this yesterday and I will leave you with this quote: "Go back into the word of God and consider how thirsty the friends of God were for God Himself! The great difference between us and Abraham, David and Paul is that they sought Him and found Him and seeking Him still, found Him and sought Him-continyally! We accept Him-and seek Him no more and that is the difference." (The Tozer Pulpit, Book 8, p. 85) -Thanks Brian for the book, you will get it back, I promise!

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