“The Spirit led Jesus into the desert where the devil tempted Jesus for forty days” (Luke 4:1-2 NCV).
We imagine the wilderness temptation as three isolated events scattered over a forty-day period. Would that it had been! In reality Jesus’ time of testing was nonstop. Satan got on Jesus like a shirt and refused to leave. Every step, whispering in his ear. Since he was tempted, Jesus could have quit the race. But he didn’t. He kept on running.
Temptation didn’t stop him, nor did accusations. Can you imagine what it would be like to run a race and be criticized by the bystanders? What if, in the roughest steps of the race, you heard words of accusation and not encouragement? Jesus’ own family called him a lunatic. His neighbors tried to throw him off a cliff.
But Jesus didn’t quit running. Let’s do likewise. Stay in the race.
