In Matthew 4:1, we find Jesus being led into the wilderness immediately after being baptized by John and immediately after the Holy Spirit had descended on him. Mark tells us he was immediately sent into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by Satan (Mk 1:12).  The word translated sent, more often means driven or forcibly led. What we see is Jesus being strongly compelled by the Spirit to go into the wilderness to face Satan during the entire forty days.  The final temptations are recorded by Matthew, but the language suggests that Satan was whispering all along the way.  

In the same way that Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received power from the Holy Spirit before they began to preach the gospel, it is apparent that Jesus could not have withstood the temptations of the devil without the Holy Spirit.  Neither can we.  The more we allow the Holy Spirit to manifest himself in us, the more we can withstand temptation.  I’m not speaking so much here about spiritual gifts but spiritual maturity. In the past few years, we have seen numerous Christian leaders fall to temptation. They were abounding in spiritual gifts, or at least in natural talent, but had a shortfall in character.  Paul tells us to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but as we do, we must desire even more, the character of Christ to be formed in us.  The temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness were preparing him to carry the weight of his ministry and his ultimate sacrifice.

Most of us want to achieve our goals in life without paying a great price for it.  That is very human.  In Matthew 4, Satan saved that temptation for his finale.  Matthew tells us, “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him” (Mt. 4:7-11).

Ultimately, Jesus will rule over all the nations of the world.  Satan was offering him that position without the cross – worldwide rule without the suffering.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are – yet without sinning (Heb. 4:5).  This final temptation must have appealed greatly to his flesh.  Thankfully for all of us, he resisted.  In part, he was able to do so because he had already said no to temptation countless times in his forty days in the wilderness.  Each time he said “No,” he was strengthened in his spirit.

Here is the thing.  If we are given a crown without a cross, we will eventually fail.  That crown might be leading a large church, leading a nationally known ministry, gaining the coveted promotion at work, the marriage you have desired for years, recognition in the sports or academic world, winning the lottery, etc.  Satan knows our vulnerabilities and he will exploit them whenever possible.  

The ultimate example of this principle is Saul and David.  Saul was anointed one day and became King the next.  He was thrust into a position of power and significance he was not ready to carry.  His rule was marked by insecurity, manipulation, the fear of man, and even attempted murder.  David was anointed one day but was not given the crown for years as he ran from Saul, led men in the wilderness, learned to desperately depend on God, and even learned to control his temper.  Saul was given power and success without his heart being tried and his character developed.  His reign ended in catastrophe.  David assumed the crown after years of his heart being tested and is remembered as Israel’s greatest king…even with a serious moral failure in his life.  Men with character can recover even from failures, while those without character will be crushed.  Saul became an insecure and conniving man.  David became a humble man.

The lesson is not to despise the waiting, but trust that God is developing you to steward the fulfillment of your dreams well…if they are godly dreams.   The warning signs of men being given positions and recognition beyond their character is all around us…sports stars, politicians, celebrities, lottery winners, preachers, etc. whose lives are marked with addiction, a string of broken marriages, fraud, insider trading, moral failures, etc.  

When we have a dream or desire that would carry with it notoriety, huge financial success, power, influence, and so forth, we must first ask the Lord if that dream or desire is from him.  It may be a dream planted by the enemy for your destruction.  If you genuinely sense it is from God, next check your motives for pursuing the dream.  Is it obedience, bringing glory to God, extending the kingdom, or for personal significance?  Be honest with yourself! If it is about your personal significance, ask the Lord to change your heart.  If it is all about you, he cannot give you that desire since he loves you.  It would be to your detriment.  If the dream keeps illuding you, be open to the possibility that God is preparing you to fulfill that desire through the waiting.  Remember, his time table rarely matches ours.  If you can accept the waiting and still work with integrity, faithfulness, and thanksgiving, then you will be ready for the desire or the dream to given to you.  God will only give us more when we have been faithful with what we already have (Mt. 25:21).

Too many times in the waiting, we begin to resent the people around us, manipulate situations to get what we want, become critical of those who have what we want or who we think are standing in our way. We begin to doubt God’s care for us and maybe become angry with God because he hasn’t given us what we wanted. These feelings are natural, but need to be reined in and adjusted to be in alignment with God’s word and his promises for you. That constant testing and realignment is what develops our spiritual maturity and prepares us to steward well what we believe God wants for us. 

Paul, as a Pharisee, was once driven by selfish ambition and a desire for recognition. But after meeting Jesus, his heart was changed.  He said, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:11-13. 

Paul found contentment because he had learned to see the hand of God in whatever circumstance he was in.  He believed God was using that circumstance to either develop his heart or to bear fruit in a difficult situation by demonstrating Jesus to those who were watching his life.  May we do the same when our life is not yet reflecting the dreams and desires of our hearts.