Wild Animals

The comfort of wild animals.  People have said that it's hard to come home to an empty house but I learned that it is also hard to wake up in an empty house.  For 9 months my husband and I lived in separate households.  He had a "short-term" ministry in Idaho and I stayed home in Iowa.  Just before he left for Idaho we expanded the family by two puppies.  I know we were crazy getting two pups to train.  The two puppies were, and still are, wild, but those mornings alone were much easier because they were with me.  So I was not alone.

Mark 1:9-12 gives the order of events of Jesus' baptism and temptation.  The Gospel of Mark almost feels like it should have "bullet points" along with occasional vivid detail. 

Jesus came,

                was baptized,

                saw the Spirit descending on Him and

                heard a voice.  

Then He was

                sent to the desert,

                tempted by Satan, and

                was with wild animals and angels.

I was surprised by the wild animals in Mark 1: 9-12.  "Has that always been there?" I asked.  The other gospels do not mention wild animals and angels.  Mark doesn't give the details of the baptism and temptation of Jesus.  Matthew and Luke recount the dialogue between Jesus and Satan.  Mark showed me a misconception in my mind. I always thought of Jesus being alone.  Jesus was not alone. He was "with the wild animals and angels attended Him." (NIV)

Hebrews 4:15 tells me that Jesus understands my weaknesses and challenges because He's been there.  He's been human and in similar circumstances.   

He has been

                isolated,

                hungry and

                faced with opportunities to obey or not.

In my mind I related His temptation to facing circumstances alone.  Anytime Life delivers unpleasant circumstances I am faced with two perspectives, to find fault with God or to trust God, to trust myself or to follow God.

Jesus did face the temptations of

                hunger,

                power and

                self-importance. 

He chose to

                obey,

                trust and

                follow the plan immediately and completely. 

In a human sense, He was alone, just as I often am when Life delivers circumstances not of my choosing.  Yet He was not alone. 

He had the memory of The Voice affirming

                who He was (The Son of The Father),

                what He was (Loved) and

                how God felt about Him(well pleased).

Jesus faced these circumstances with wild animals.  Perhaps the wild animals provided additional unpleasant circumstances.  Or perhaps the wild animals weren't as wild I think since Jesus created them. He surely could have handled their wildness. (I'm sure He handled their wildness much better  than I handle the two wild puppies!)

Too often in Life I feel surrounded by "wild animals" that I cannot tame.  Someday I'll tame the two puppies! The "wild animals" remind me that I do not face the challenges of Life alone.  God has spoken to me and called me Loved, Chosen and Rescued.  I need to remember. 

God has never and will never leave me alone.  Jesus faced the temptations in the desert with angels. I face Life's circumstances with The Spirit, who is with me at all times.  I need to remember.

So when the "wild animals" of Life appear, I will remember

God calls to me to follow Him,

God loves me, and

God never leaves me alone.