The Wilderness Before The Work
Forty days of nothing, first.
On the hidden preparation before anything visible.
The big idea
Jesus' public ministry began with a month and a half where nothing happened.
Opening scripture
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
What does “The Wilderness Before The Work” walk through?
Led Into The Wilderness
Matthew 4:1 · KJV
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
In plain English
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Led, Not Abandoned
The Spirit takes him there. The emptiness is not a detour from the calling — it is the first stage of it, which is worth remembering in a season where nothing seems to be moving.
Number Our Days
Psalms 90:12 · KJV
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
In plain English
Teach us to number our days, so that we may grow wise in heart.
“Nothing visible was happening. Everything necessary was.”
Resist
James 4:7 · KJV
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
In plain English
So surrender to God. Resist the devil, and he will run from you.
Tested Before Trusted
He faces the shortcuts first — bread, spectacle, power — and refuses all three. What is settled in private determines what is safe in public.
He Will Complete It
Philippians 1:6 · KJV
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
In plain English
I am sure of this: the one who began a good work in you will carry it through to completion.
Pray
God, do your work in me while nothing is happening. Amen.
Write it down
What is God doing in you in this quiet stretch?
Hidden is not wasted
The wilderness came first, on purpose.
Which passages does this journey use?
4 passages, drawn from Matthew 4:1, Psalms 90:12, James 4:7, Philippians 1:6. Every verse appears here in the King James text with a plain-English line beside it, so you can read it without a commentary open. Allow about 7 minutes for the whole thing, or 8 short sittings.
- Matthew 4:1
- Psalms 90:12
- James 4:7
- Philippians 1:6
Read any of these in full on the complete KJV, or look the wording up independently at Blue Letter Bible.
More in The Habits of Jesus
All The Habits of Jesus →He Withdrew To Lonely Places
The habit underneath everything Jesus did.
Before Dawn
What Jesus did before the day could ask anything of him.
He Slept In The Storm
Rest that does not wait for calm.
Interruptible
Jesus kept getting stopped, and kept stopping.
He Asked Questions
Jesus asked far more than he answered.
He Was Never In A Hurry
Urgency was not one of his tools.