Led by the Spirit..

“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

These verses really struck me today. Like me, you may also have read them many times but today they spoke to my heart afresh.

As a church we are praying about the future shape of our fellowship and how the Lord wants us to serve Him as a church community.

Our prayer is that we will be led by the Holy Spirit.

Today I was reminded by these verses from Luke that the Holy Spirit can lead us into the wilderness, into barren lonely places first where we have nothing but God to sustain us and allow us to be tested.

I so often forget this truth envisaging the Spirit leading us into the promised land, the fulfillment of the vision before understanding there is a journey and work the Spirit needs to do and much to learn about crucifying my flesh daily and overcoming temptation to make me ready for the mission.

The wilderness is not an easy place to be but if the Spirit needs to take me or us into the wilderness we must not doubt and think we have made a mistake but recognise His leading. We are in the necessary place of learning.

After the wilderness, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit.

We also need the empowering of the Spirit. Lead us Holy Spirit, Lead us.

The wilderness may await us but we will know that we are not alone and that in Christ Jesus our Lord we can overcome.