“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil…….. When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:1-2, 13 (NIV)

I read recently Max Lucado pointing out that this passage says that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted—to be tested. It’s interesting that this season of Jesus’ life was something He was led to. And His temptation—His spiritual testing—came as He was fasting for 40 days, so His physical strength was diminishing every day. Fortunately, He passed the test.

When I was in school, there were no “do overs” on tests. The score you got was the score you got. In the years that I umpired youth and High School Baseball, the trainers we had always went through the test after it was graded, and discussed the questions people missed. And if those who had failed re-tested and passed, they were still allowed to work, because the point was to make sure everyone was fully prepared. They weren’t as concerned with people knowing it all the first time as they were with helping them get to where they needed to be.

When we’re tempted, not only do we have God’s Spirit to guide us, but we also have His promise that He will never let you be tempted beyond your ability to resist, and He will always provide an open door to say no. It’s up to us to take that exit. So we never face the test alone. And because of Christ, when we fail, we can repent, and as far as God is concerned, our slate is clean. One failure isn’t the end.

As you pray today, thank God for the help He gives us when we’re tempted, and for the forgiveness HE makes available when we fail the test. Examine the areas of your life where you stumble most often, and ask for His help to take advantage of the help He offers when those temptations present themselves again.