Into the Wilderness

New Lenten Devotional Series

This Lent, we invite you to slow your steps and walk closely with Christ.

Forty Steps with Jesus: Walking the Road to the Cross is a daily devotional journey through the forty days of Lent—following Jesus in His obedience, suffering, compassion, and love. Each step draws us deeper into the story of sacrifice and redemption, preparing our hearts for the hope of Easter.

Lent is not about rushing to the resurrection.
It’s about staying on the road.

📖 Daily reflections
✝️ A season of repentance, prayer, and surrender
🚶‍♂️ One step at a time—with Jesus

Join us as we walk the road that leads to the cross… and beyond.

Into the Wilderness

✨ Lenten Theme: Forty Steps with Jesus: Walking the Road to the Cross

🕊️ Welcome Moment

Lent begins in a place we often avoid—the wilderness. It is the landscape of testing, stripping away, and confronting what lies beneath the surface. Yet it is also the place where Jesus shows us how to stand, how to trust, and how to cling to the Father when everything else feels barren.

As you take these first steps into the Lenten journey, let the wilderness become not a place of fear, but a place of formation. Jesus meets you there.

📖 Scripture Immersion

Matthew 4:1–11 (NIV)
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…”

Read the passage slowly. Notice the silence, the hunger, the testing—and the unwavering faithfulness of Jesus.

🌄 Snapshot

Imagine walking into a vast desert at dawn. The air is cool, the horizon endless, and the silence almost unsettling. There are no distractions here—no noise, no comforts, no easy escapes.

At first, the emptiness feels overwhelming. But as you continue walking, something shifts. You begin to hear your own thoughts more clearly. You sense your dependence more deeply. You realize that in this stripped‑down place, God’s presence becomes unmistakably near.

This is the wilderness Jesus entered—not as punishment, but as preparation.
Not as abandonment, but as alignment.
Not as defeat, but as victory waiting to unfold.

🔍 Deep Dive

“Led by the Spirit…”
The wilderness was not an accident. It was Spirit‑led. Sometimes God leads us into quiet, uncomfortable places to strengthen what will be needed later.

“…to be tempted…”
Temptation is not a sign of weakness—it is often a sign of calling. Jesus faced temptation not to prove His failure, but to reveal His faithfulness.

Forty days of fasting
This mirrors Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. Where Israel failed, Jesus stood firm. He becomes the faithful Son we could never be.

Three temptations, three responses
Each temptation targeted identity, trust, and allegiance.
Each response began with Scripture.
Jesus shows us that victory in the wilderness is rooted in God’s Word, not human willpower.

“Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
The wilderness is not forever. God sustains, strengthens, and sends help at the right time.

As you walk these Forty Steps with Jesus, remember:
The wilderness is not where God leaves you.
It is where He forms you.

🧭 Companion Questions

What “wilderness” season are you currently walking through—externally or internally?
Which of Jesus’ responses speaks most deeply to your own areas of temptation or struggle?
How might God be using this season to strengthen your dependence on Him?
What distractions might God be inviting you to lay down during Lent?

🚶‍♀️ Pilgrimage Practice

Wilderness Silence: Spend five minutes today in complete quiet, allowing God to meet you in stillness.
Scripture Anchor: Choose one verse from Matthew 4:1–11 to carry with you throughout the day.
Fasting Step: Consider a small fast—food, media, noise, or hurry—to create space for God’s voice.
Desert Walk: Take a slow walk and imagine Jesus walking beside you, steady and faithful in your wilderness.

🙏 Closing Prayer

Jesus, lead me into the wilderness with courage and trust. Strip away what distracts me and strengthen what anchors me. As I walk these forty steps with You, shape my heart, sharpen my faith, and help me stand firm in Your Word. Meet me in the quiet places and form me for the journey ahead. Amen.