The desert is a lonely place. It is, by definition, deserted. There are few natural resources that can support human life.

In today's Gospel reading we're told that Jesus is lead into a desert "to be tempted by the devil." First the devil tempts Jesus with food. When that fails the devil tempts Jesus with "power and glory." Finally the devil taunts Jesus and tries to get him to prove he is indeed God's son with some mighty miracle. In all cases Jesus resists.

Deserts, of course, exist for all of us. We all find ourselves in situations where our sources of security are stripped away and we must decide how to cope without them. A relationship ends; we are in a desert. A loved one is ill or passes away; we are in the desert. A job is lost; we are in the desert. We feel alone and without our normal means of security and happiness.

A turning point in my life came through an extended period of unemployment. I felt abandoned by God. I worried about making ends meet. I struggled with shame without the dignity of career appropriate to my level of experience and education. I wanted God to swoop and fix everything in an instant.

When we are vulnerable, we are most afraid. When we are most afraid, we are tempted to turn to anything for relief. If we are hungry, we will do anything for food. If we are weak, we will do anything to feel powerful. If we are in a crisis, we would like nothing better than for some miraculous rescue.

The desert experience exposes our fears. The solutions we try to force by our own will power are rarely successful. Jesus remains in the desert, saying "no" to the relief offered him by the devil. Sometimes, I suppose, we too must remain in a situation of "lostness" or deprivation. We need to be able to discern between our will power and God's will.

Lent is a time to explore the desert --- to voluntarily strip ourselves of some of the comforts that shield us from the need to trust in God alone. We are called to reflect on our lives and examine where we are seeking God's will and where we are trying force our own wills to be done. We have our own 40-day journey to make. It is a journey toward a life lived by faith and not by fear.

Jesus is not forced into the desert. We are told "the Spirit led him" there. He emerges from the desert experience strong, focused and energized to begin his ministry. We have the opportunity to enjoy the same experience --- to find that we don't need all the resources we think we need to happy, healthy, and whole. We have the opportunity to say "no" to our fear-driven anxieties, and "yes" to the Spirit.

The desert is lonely, but we are not alone. Jesus has been there and has shown us how to navigate through it with faith, not fear.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa.