What’s Driving You?

That drives me!

I hear this phrase a tad too often for my liking… but, imagine my surprise when I was reading the Word and read it, not once, but twice.

“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)” Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

After reading the latter passage, I was immediately reminded of the first passage of scripture. I knew that after Jesus was baptized, being full of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. What I didn’t recall was the demoniac, filled with many demons, being driven into the wilderness by the devil.

I may have written about this in the past, however, I once heard a sermon based on Psalm 23:5a: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:” I remember the minister stating that the devil always has a counterfeit for everything that God has. We need to be mindful of which table we choose to eat from.

Just as we need to be mindful of what/who is driving us.

What I find most interesting is that both Jesus and the demoniac were driven into the wilderness. Jesus by the Spirit of God. The demoniac by the devil. Jesus was tempted and tried by the devil. The demoniac was tortured and tormented.

We all face a wilderness at some point in our lives. But what’s driving us there? And what’s the purpose behind the wilderness? What’s the meaning of the isolation?

Looking back at the various periods of isolations, wildernesses, if you will, in my life, I see times where the Spirit of God drove me there. And the outcome brought me closer to Jesus. I may have been tried for a period of time. However, I was never alone.

Then, there were those times, where surely, there was a more sinister darkness controlling the isolation and wilderness. Leaving me with feelings that I can hardly explain or even find the words to express. And though I was not alone, I felt so utterly alone. So dark was the day.

But God!

Let me tell you! Be mindful about what is driving you. Be mindful about what you give power to in your life.

*Original image courtesy of Yours Truly ☀️🌸