Joel Osteen Word today : In the Desert (December 13 2021)

Matthew 4:1, NLT

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

In Matthew 3, when Jesus came up out of the water after His baptism, God spoke from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son.” It was a glorious moment, signaling the beginning of His ministry. You would think Jesus would immediately start teaching and healing, but instead He was led by the Spirit into the desert. If you had seen Jesus there, you could have thought it didn’t make sense. Why the silence? Why alone in the desert?

There will be times when God takes you into a silent season, into things that you don’t understand–a door closes, a person walks away, a contract is lost. You could be down on yourself thinking, “What did I do wrong, God? I was honoring You.” How do you know that isn’t the Spirit leading you there? Quit being discouraged over what didn’t work out. Stay in faith. You’re in a time of testing. There’s something bigger that God has in your future. He’s leading you to the fullness of what He has in store.

Father, thank You that my life is in Your hands, and Your Spirit leads me. Thank You for the silent seasons, for the times of testing when I don’t always understand where You’re taking me. I trust You to take me through the desert into something bigger for my future. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.