「那靈隨即把耶穌催到曠野去。」－馬可福音 1:12
聖靈的帶領似乎是令人難以想像的。
在何時聖靈「隨即」催耶穌呢？是在天開了，聖靈彷彿鴿子降在耶穌身上，並且父神開口祝福：「你是我的愛子，我喜悅你」（馬可福音1:11）之後。這不是個尋常的經歷，而你也必定經歷過這個。
在你享受在天際翱翔之後，豈不是常常經歷到最深的沮喪嗎？
不過就在昨日，你正呼嘯於藍天，在晨光中盡情歌唱，為何今日翅膀受縛，聲音漸收呢？正午你才倘佯在父神的微笑中，為何日落你就在曠野中呻吟著：「我的道路向耶和華隱藏」（以賽亞書40:27）？
請別灰心，事物瞬息的轉變並不是要將你吞噬。
你想過接著「隨即」之後的安慰嗎？為什麼祝福之後就是「隨即」呢？這不過說出了這是祝福的延續。
神的祝福是為了讓你勝任你前頭的荒漠－客西馬尼苦杯和各各他十架。祂將你升高，是為了讓你行路有力；祂照亮你的黑暗，是為了讓你勇敢步向幽谷，幫助在死蔭裡的人。
必須先經歷約旦河的賜福，才有資格進入大而可畏的曠野；必須先經歷父向愛子的顯現，才能承託聖靈的擔負；若沒有受浸的榮光，就不能支持曠野的飢餓。－馬特孫
"And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness" (Mark 1:12).It seemed a strange proof of Divine favor. "Immediately." Immediately after what? After the opened heavens and the dove-like peace and the voice of the Father's blessing, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It is no abnormal experience. Thou, too, hast passed through it, O my soul. Are not the times of thy deepest depression just the moments that follow thy loftiest flight? Yesterday thou wert soaring far in the firmament, and singing in the radiance of the morn; today thy wings are folded and thy song silent. At noon thou wert basking in the sunshine of a Father's smile; at eve thou art saying in the wilderness, "My way is hid from the Lord."
Nay, but, my soul, the very suddenness of the change is a proof that it is not revolutionary.
Hast thou weighed the comfort of that word "immediately"? Why does it come so soon after the blessing? Just to show that it is the sequel to the blessing. God shines on thee to make thee fit for life's desert-places--for its Gethsemanes, for its Calvaries. He lifts thee up that He may give thee strength to go further down; He illuminates thee that He may send thee into the night, that He may make thee a help to the helpless.
Not at all times art thou worthy of the wilderness; thou art only worthy of the wilderness after the splendors of Jordan. Nothing but the Son's vision can fit thee for the Spirit's burden; only the glory of the baptism can support the hunger of the desert. --George Matheson
