We often think of temptation as desire for something bad or evil, but for Jesus in the desert, it was his good desires that the devil used to tempt him. That is often our experience as well – we desire good things and are vulnerable to the allure of shortcuts that promise to get us there faster. We need to understand that the wounds of our humanity are deep. Healing is happening in the slow unfolding of God’s loving will. It is hard to be patient but quick-fixes can only sooth the pain for a time, they cannot bring the deep healing we need.