“Where God’s Spirit Sends You, His Angels Will Attend To You!”

“Where God’s Spirit Sends You, Angels Will Attend To You!”(Mk.1:12-13).
“At once, the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”
African gospel song composers are coming up daily with lyrics that generate laughter. This one comes to me this day: “Satan, the number you are calling is not available…” According to the text, and in Jesus’ experience, Satan did not make any attempt to call. Satan was just idling in the desert when after Jesus’ baptism, “at once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,” where he spent forty days, being tempted by Satan…”
We read from James that God does not tempt anybody. Our worry is why he allows Satan to do with Job as he pleases, in the same way that the Spirit sent Jesus to the desert where he was being tempted by Satan?
Unlike the other synoptic gospels, Mark does not mention the nature of the temptation. It is, however, implied that Jesus had no food with him.
Again Mark alone mentions in relation to this desert experience that “he was with wild animals,” meaning he was exposed to the dangers of being alone in the desert without food, in the midst of wild animals who would have instantly used him for a meal.
But the wild animals couldn’t harm him. He did not starve or suffered thirst because “angels attended him.”
Prior to being sent out inot the desert, immediately after his baptism, and as he was coming out of the water, “he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'”
We cannot equate ourselves to Jesus because we are only human, while he was both human and divine.
However, when God loves us, he will keep us safe by going with us and letting the angels attend to us in any desert-like situation amidst hunger, thirst, and the threat of wild animals.
Yes, my friend, God’s Spirit cannot send us to where God’s angels will not be there to attend to us.
In their desert sojournings, God told the Israelites: “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” But then, their security and protection depended on how they followed the angel’s instructions: “Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him…”(Ex.23:20-21).
There is this joke that a truant boy returned from school earlier than time. When his illiterate father asked why he was back early, he said it was because he did not paid attention. The illiterate father swore that God forbid that they should send his child out of school because he did not pay attention. He asked to know how much it cost, and gave the money to his son. He also promised to pay for all future attention.
You see, friend, there is a sense in which to pay attention is actually a price. The consequence for not paying attention to the guardian angel is yielding to temptation. And “yielding is sin.”
In the face of temptation, “ask the Saviour to help you, comfort, strengthen, and keep you. He is willing to aid you. He will carry you through.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, send your angels to attend to us in any desert that your spirit sends us to. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
12/03/2025.