Spiritual Reserves
The one, common advice given regarding finances is to have a cash reserve set aside for emergencies. This cash fund should be separate from your normal savings, which addresses your goals. If you take a moment, you can see the simple logic in it. A little saved today could help in the event of an unexpected set of events tomorrow. That's a wise financial thing to do, right? Expect the unexpected.
Jesus Christ put this in practice. His entire life was built upon the preparation for tomorrow. Anything He did was not just specifically for that moment, but for the days to come. Actions in present to make a way for the future at hand.
We see Jesus putting this to work in Luke 4:1-4.
1And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Let's look at this bit-by-bit.
V.1 captures His planned preparation. The Bible records Jesus as being full of the Holy Ghost. He was full of the Word, knowing that He would be led to a wilderness fasting and praying. He was full of God and concentrated on the Father's goal so much so, that it was easier to ignore the demands of the natural.
Intently focused on His Mission, the Bible records that He wasn't even hungry until AFTER the forty days!! Look at how v.2 is written. Natural food is the afterthought here. Jesus puts emphasis on the spiritual food, thus walking in the same Spirit as the One He is led by.
It is important to also understand that one cannot go on a forty-day fast "just like that". And so, this passage is evidence that Jesus must have had a disciplined fasting and prayer life before His wilderness experience.
Being FULL of the Holy Ghost and having a life built on being prepared for the wilderness, Jesus lacked for nothing. The wilderness does not have to prepare itself for you. No, you must prepare yourself for it! V.3 explains why.
Satan makes himself readily available in wilderness experiences, and Jesus was no exception to that rule
