Be All There
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ~ Matthew 4:1 (ESV)
Matthew 4 tells the famous story of Jesus facing Satan in the wilderness. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days, and the devil came to tempt him. First, Satan asked Jesus to turn stones into bread. If Jesus was the Son of God, wouldn’t God give him the power to turn rocks into food when he’s hungry? Next, Satan took Jesus up to the roof of the temple in Jerusalem and asked him to jump off. If Jesus was the Son of God, wouldn’t God save him from falling to his death by sending angels to catch him in the air? Finally, the devil took him to the top of a mountain and promised to give him all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow down and worship him.
But Jesus didn’t take the bait. Every one of the devil’s schemes in some way tempted Jesus to stop trusting God the Father. But at every exchange, Jesus trusted God and denied the devil. What an example for us to follow! How often are we tempted to take a shortcut, go our own way in life, or indulge our desires? How often are we tempted to stop trusting God and take matters into our own hands?
When I was meditating on this story in Matthew’s Gospel, a quote from missionary Jim Elliot came to mind: “Wherever you are, be all there.” God calls us to different things in different seasons of life. He leads us to different places and different people. Some places or tasks God calls us to are less enjoyable than others. The question is, will we be all there? Do I trust God, even when the way ahead seems uncertain? Do I still think God knows best when my current circumstances are challenging? Wherever God has called you, trust him and be all there.
Where has God called you? What does it look like for you to be all there this week?