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.

Delivered - Galatians 1:4 (part 2)

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father,

and the Lord Jesus Christ,

who gave Himself for our sins,

that He might deliver us out of this present evil age,

according to the will of our God and Father,

to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen."

(Galatians 1:3-5)

Real grace and true peace are gifts that come from the Father, through the Son. The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins and He gave Himself with a real and tangible purpose - He came to deliver us! He didn't simply give His life as an ethereal portrait of love and grace and peace and sacrifice and deliverance. No, He gave His life to actually free us from our captivity. Christ is the conquering Captain and the rescuing Redeemer. He came and He accomplished that which He came for.


Jesus the Son of God became the Son of Man "that He might deliver us out of this present evil age." He came to deliver us. Is deliverance yours? Are you conquered by Christ or still controlled by the captor of this present evil age? It is an important question to consider.

"This present world is an evil world and it has become so by the sin of man."  (Matthew Henry).

We live in a fallen world.

You know that.

You see that.

It is a world, that though glorious in many ways, is tainted with sin at every turn.

There is a hint of sorrow and sadness even in the greatest blessings that this life has to offer.

Flowers fade.

Friends fail.

Laughter languishes.

Existence is eventually extinguished.

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.

Give Thanks to the God of the Nations - Psalm 136 (part 4)

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

for His lovingkindness is everlasting....

To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting,

and brought Israel out from their midst,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting,

with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting,

and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting;

but He overthrew Pharoah and his army in the Red Sea,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting.

To Him who led His people through the wilderness,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting;

To Him who smote great kings,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting,

and slew mighty kings,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting:

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting,

And Og, king of Bashan,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting,

and gave their land as a heritage,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting,

even a heritage to Israel His servant,

for His lovingkindness is everlasting."

(Psalm 136:1, 10-22)

This next section of Psalm 136 contains much - MUCH that should encourage the heart of a believer and press him to praise!! Here we see the greatness of our God as the King of kings. Here we see His power in preserving His people and in pummeling their persecutors.


Are you living in fear of the "Pharaohs" this day?
Are you doubting your ability to conquer Canaan?
Well then, don't just glance but gaze deeply at this section of Psalm 136.

Weaned from Wandering in Worldly Wonder - Psalm 131

"O LORD, my heart is not proud,

nor my eyes haughty;

nor do I involve myself in great matters,

or in things too difficult for me.

Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;

like a weaned child rests against its mother,

my soul is like a weaned child within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD

from this time forth and forever."

(Psalm 131)

Over the course of the past two weeks I have been utterly amazed at the timing of landing here in the Psalms of ascent. Just being flat out honest - life has been dark for me recently - blindingly dark. As, I shared in my last post, the previous psalm in many ways is the psalm of the past 13 months for me. I have been in the depths - deep depths! I have cried out to God for mercy - at times uncertain of whether He was even there to hear. I have been made painfully aware of my sinfulness and have seen His merciful lovingkindness poured out to me where His wrath should have gushed forth! I have been made to wait upon the Lord - for quite some time and while waiting I have hoped in His Word. The lessons I have learned in that precious Word - many of which have flown off of my fingers onto this blog - have truly been an anchor for a soul that has been so violently adrift at sea. My friends, Lori Sealy has been in the midst of a spiritual war of epic proportions and I have, by grace - by NOTHING but grace - been kept in this overwhelming flood and have been enabled to wait and watch for His redeeming rescue.


My Redeemer has come! The Psalms of ascent - the Psalms of those who sing on their way to worship their Redeemer - have truly been my Psalms. At this moment in my life I own these words, by sheer grace and by perfectly planned providence. Today is no exception. Today is, yet again, the cry of my heart and the testimony of my circumstance. Several particulars grabbed me as I meditated this day.