Footprints
Mark 1:13
And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.
Noah spent forty days in a tempest. Moses spent forty years on the run. Israel spent forty years of wandering. This barely scratches the surface of all that forty might represent in the magnificent mind of Creator God, but the connection is clear. Jesus, as our great High Priest who will empathize with us in our suffering, begins His ministry by passing through harsh tests of hunger, thirst, and satanic oppression. So, when you find yourself in a wilderness, look down: Jesus was there. When you find yourself hungry and thirsty and desperate, look down: Jesus was there. And when you find yourself being hurt by accusations and lies and temptations, look down: Jesus was there as well.
Take His hand today: He knows the way through the wilderness.
Further Reflection
For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:18