Worship in the Wilderness
Start of Lent • Friday
Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
“Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.”’
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Matthew 4.7–11
One of the reasons that Christians are called to share in worship is because it helps us remember what is important to honour in our lives, and what we should aspire to. Jesus’s forty days in the wilderness set the pattern for our Lenten journey.
Tested by hunger, power, and pride, he answers each temptation with the words of Scripture. His final reply is decisive: worship belongs to God alone. Lent asks us: who or what commands our devotion? To worship God alone is both freedom and strength.
Worship, in this light, is not escape from struggle but the very means by which we resist. To bow before God keeps us from bowing before anything else. Worship makes clear who holds our allegiance.
In the wilderness of our lives, worship must call us to be faithful. Christ, in the wilderness, shows us the Way.
Response
Reflect today on what competes for your heart’s loyalty—success, possessions, your own concerns. Consciously turn again to God in prayerful worship, trusting him to strengthen you in the wilderness.
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