You know how we say that when we meet God, there are many questions we will have for Him. Well, if you have never said such, you must be a saint. I have said it countless times, and I think about these many questions every other time when they pop up in my head. But you see questions about Matthew 4 v 1 will always top the chart of lists of questions for God. Here’s what that verse says in the NLT version: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

Question no.1 – but God why? I know it’s an incomplete question, but I know God will understand the missing words and still provide an answer.

Question no. 2 – why would your Spirit take me into the wilderness? Isn’t the Spirit supposed to give me a detour from the wilderness? I would hope so. I am human, after all. Maturity in the faith shows us that the wilderness is the testing ground and place for growth, no one gets to detour, not even Jesus Christ – and He is God and was man!

I am sure you’ve had your fair share of wilderness moments – seasons and times when you were certain God asked you to embark on a project, journey, or relationship and the end or the process got you asking ‘Did I really hear God?’ or ‘Was I really led by the Spirit of God?’. That feeling of doubt that makes you question the depth of your intimacy with God. If you have not had such an experience yet? Stay tuned because it’s part of the faith manual – it won’t miss you and you won’t miss it.

A few months ago, I contracted COVID-19. What was noteworthy from that time was that I most likely contracted the virus from attending a night vigil – it was a 12-hour prayer charge. It was a beautiful and life-transforming time in the presence of God, but shortly after, I started experiencing the C*VID symptoms. A test result showing two bold lines confirmed the language of my symptoms. I thought I would be disappointed or shocked, but I felt nothing other than the sheer will to submit myself to the process of resting and healing. One of my thoughts at that time of resting and healing was – how does someone almost touch God, then get afflicted with what you have been given the power to overcome right after? It felt oxymoronic. How do you meet with the greatest physician then moments after you carry what He already took to the cross? How is it that Christ fasted for forty days and nights, then gets led by the Spirit of God to the place where he was tempted by the devil?

The short answer is that it is a test of your faith. Have you noticed that you don’t automatically improve without THE TESTING whenever you want to do something or desire to improve in an area? It is a rite of passage to prove yourself and show that there has been an exchange – the old becoming new, the child becoming mature….

While my white blood cells were getting strength from the Blood of Jesus to fight the virus [let’s call this – the transfusion], I was sleeping, resting and making sure that my mother [and the rest of the world] did not get infected by me. I enjoyed the rest that came with that season. I look back now with the awareness that it was by the grace of God that I enjoyed the rest, because I could’ve been disappointed or asked God questions but I knew it was a check of what my testimony [the words of my mouth] will be about God and whom I have come to believe.

Let me happily put a disclaimer here—I am not saying God made me get C*VID to test me. NO! I am saying He allowed such an experience to reveal the nature of Christ that He has birthed in me. When you go through the wilderness, it shows you how much of God’s nature you carry—the purpose of the wilderness is to reveal Christ in you.

After four days of the transfusion, I felt stronger and returned to working out. In fact, I took another test because I wanted some confirmation that my feeling stronger meant I did not have C*VID anymore, but the test showed one bold line and a faint line, which still means C*VID positive. Hahaha talk about getting a word or promise, you sense it is the season but you don’t see the manifestation, can I get an Amen, I have experienced this? Like you know it is the time but you do not see the rain that Elijah spoke of. So what do you do?

You continue to speak the Word that God has given you until you see it. You put your body, soul and spirit in remembrance of all the times God gave you a word, and He brought it to pass. You rest [live life to the dictates of God] knowing that there is no word that God speaks that falls to the ground void – NEVER! God is actively watching over His word to fulfill it [Jeremiah 1 v 12]

After the result of second C*VID test, I carried on like I felt – I felt stronger and healed. Of course, I did not go out or come out of isolation. But I lived my life in what I knew, even if the test said otherwise – I was fine, my body just needed TIME to catch up with my knowledge. And it did. Did I dictate when the test became negative? NO! I have no power over time, that is God’s business, literally! But the next time I did a test, I was healed – C*VID gone. All these happened in the span of a week. And here we are gleaning some wisdom from that week.

You can write your own script of Matthew 4 v 1 – that is experiences of where the Spirit of God has led you to that you may not understand. That is fine – but don’t stop there. I pray that with the might of God, Christ is revealed in the testing. And here is the fun part I want you to know – Matthew 4 v 11 also happened: Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Just look at that – the devil goes away, and you get to be taken care of by angels. You don’t get to leave, the devil leaves because Christ in you has worn him out. Now, that’s how your story ends!

Shalom and Happy November to you!

Princess!