In The Wilderness - Mark 1:12-13

"And immediately the Spirit impelled Him

to go out into the wilderness.

And He was in the wilderness forty days,

being tempted by Satan;

and He was with the wild beasts,

and the angels were ministering to Him."

(Mark 1:12-13)

The temptation of Jesus is a very well known New Testament story. It's recorded in all of the gospel accounts except for the book of John. Both Matthew and Luke give much more detailed descriptions than does our friend Mark. The latter succeeds in summing up the whole experience in only two verses and gives a solid cliff note of Christ's "crisis". Two verses covering 40 days!

Now, with that said, I must admit that everything in me wants to run to those other gospel accounts and share with you the lessons I've learned in times past from the "extended-play" versions. Matthew and Luke's renderings are truly deep mines containing many precious jewels. They are rich with insight into the schemes of Satan. They are full to over-flowing with pictures of the three-fold Achiles' heel that dwells in all of our hearts (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life). And they abound with examples of how to properly defend ourselves with the sword of the Spirit against those wicked and dastardly devilish schemes. Oh, how I want to go there! But I have made a promise to myself that I am going to stick like glue to Mark and focus on what he deems necessary for the moment.


So, what does Mr. Mark have to teach us this day? Well, I have personally learned 4 things from these 2 verses.

Jesus Does All Things Well

I haven't posted any notes in a while. There's a reason for that. The God of the universe has been working overtime on me - very personally, very providentially, very profoundly and I've just needed to sit down and shut up.


My loving heavenly Father has been making me stare down my past, making me learn to rightly rest in Him for my present, and teaching me to trust Him with my future. It's been a pretty big deal and the good news is that, much like Eustace Scrubb in C.S. Lewis' "Voyage of The Dawn Treader", the dragon scales are falling off of this stubborn saved sinner, and the far too often blind eyes of a redeemed doubter are beginning to be focused much more clearly... not simply on the abstract idea of a theoretical Christ who saves sinners but on the real Person of Jesus - Immanuel - God with us - the Lamb of God who died for this sinner.

Accomplishing What Concerns Me - Psalm 138 (part 3)

"I will give Thee thanks with all my heart;

I will sing praises to Thee before the gods.

I will bow down toward Thy holy temple,

and give thanks to Thy name

for Thy loving-kindness and Thy truth;

for Thou hast magnified Thy word

according to all Thy name....

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

Thou wilt revive me;

Thou wilt stretch forth Thy hand

against the wrath of my enemies,

and Thy hand will accomplish what concerns me;

Thy loving-kindness, O LORD is everlasting;

Do not forsake the works of Thy hands."

(Psalm 138:1-2, 7-8)

This is the final section of Psalm 138 and the last in this group of psalms of hallelujah. This psalm of David encourages us - as do all the hallelujah psalms - to thanksgiving and praise. In the opening verses we are challenged to give wholehearted thanksgiving ("with all my heart") and whole-worldly praise ("before the gods"). There is no part of us that should not be worshipful and there is no place where we should not be worshipping! As has so often been the case in these psalms, the glorious loving-kindness and tested truth of our God are held before us as a grand catalyst for all of these things.


In the next group of verses we were exhorted to become humble humans and not haughty ones! "For though the LORD is exalted, yet He regards the lowly; but the haughty He knows from afar."


Pride goeth before a fall.
Humility is a guarantee of grace.


This morning, in the final two verses of the psalm we are reminded of the care that God takes for His precious people in the midst of awful affliction and of His providential dealings to make them more Christ-like in the process.

The Greatness of the Good God - Psalm 135 (part 2)

"Praise the LORD!...

For I know that the LORD is great,

and that our Lord is above all gods.

Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,

in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

He causes vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;

Who makes lightnings for the rain;

Who brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

He smote the firstborn of Egypt,

both of man and beast.

He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,

under Pharoah and all his servants.

He smote many nations,

and slew mighty kings,

Sihon, king of Bashan,

and all the kingdoms of Canaan;

and He gave their land as a heritage,

a heriatage to Israel His people.

Thy name, O LORD, is everlasting,

Thy remembrance, O LORD, throughout all generations.

For the LORD will judge His people,

and will have compassion on His servants."

(Psalm 135:1, 5-14)

We, the chosen people and prized possession of God, have been told to praise the good and lovely God. Here, in verses 5-14, we are extolled to praise the greatness of this good God.


Yes, our God is good. He is kind and His mercies are new every morning. But He is not merely some jovial old grandpa pouring forth blessings upon His children. No, our good God is a GREAT God. Mighty in power. Sovereign in all things. He "is above all gods and whatever He pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps."


Henry sums it up this way:

"The Lord is great, great indeed, who knows no limits of time or place. He has an absolute power, and may do with it what He will. This absolute almighty power is of universal extent; He does what He will in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deep place that are in the bottom of the sea or the bowels of the earth."

God is great and greatly to be praised. Hallelujah!


The psalmist not only arbitrarily claims the greatness of our God, he goes on to give instances and examples of His great power. He does so in "the kingdom of nature" and in "the kingdoms of men".