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Presented by Lisa Bishop
We all know the saying, “The struggle is real.” Well, the wilderness is real too. If you have been following Jesus for any length of time you know what the wilderness is like, and if you have not yet hit a wilderness patch, you will. It is part of life here on earth. And rather than wishing it away, I want you to know how to “wander well” so to speak.
When I was reflecting on the story of the Israelites in the desert, something struck me. They thought they were wandering. Their perspective of their journey was that it was aimless, endless, and meaningless, but it wasn’t. God had a magnificent plan. While the Israelites saw their wilderness time as wandering, we know that God had a greater purpose. They just couldn’t see it at the time. In my 26 years of following Jesus, I have experienced several seasons of wilderness. And if I am honest, sometimes they have been very long seasons that I thought would never end. But in hindsight, like the Israelites, I can see that there was purpose and God kept his promise. “For the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6b). In other words, God is right there with you, even when you feel as though he has abandoned you, he hasn’t. He is right by your side.
So while it may feel like you are idling with no clear purpose or direction, I want to shift your perspective on the seemingly endless seasons of your life; from pointless, to purposeful, and give you some tools to not just merely survive the wilderness waiting for it to pass but to actually experience the wilderness as a place to grow and boost your spiritual thriving. As a follower of Jesus, you will experience times in the proverbial desert. The question is, “When you are in the wilderness seasons, what will you do, what or who will you turn to?”
In Deuteronomy 8:2-4, the children of Israel were reminded God had a purpose for the forty long years in the wilderness, and these verses are also a reminder to us as we face our own desert seasons.
“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.”
In the wilderness God:
- Leads you all the way through.
- Tests, strengthens, and matures your faith.
- Builds Christ-like character.
- Teaches you deeper reliance and trust in him.
In these verses God not only reveals his purpose, he wants us to see his provision in the wilderness, and that ultimately it is a place he uses to purge us and produce things in us, including a greater dependance on him. It will require an additional change in perspective, from “Why is this happening to me, to, “What is God producing in me.” As Romans 8:28 reminds us, ” And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Let’s be honest, even with this perspective, the wilderness is an unpleasant place, fleshly speaking. We naturally want prosperity, health, and comfort. Sometimes we forget that there will be times of trial and pressure throughout our lives and our faith will be tested. But the God of grace will meet you even in the wilderness and as Deuteronomy causes us to remember, he will lead you all the way. This is where disciplining yourself and training your heart and mind to lean into God as he leads you through is essential. Take time to pray for an increased sensitivity to his Holy Spirit and ask him to give you spiritual eyes to see how he is providing even in midst of the suffering that the wilderness can induce.
In the desert seasons it will be tempting to rely on your feelings rather than anchor yourself in God’s faithfulness and the truth of his character. But this is where it is essential that you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. I’m not saying it is easy but over time, in dry seasons, faith will be your go to instead of apathy, panic or fear.
As God led the Israelites into and through the wilderness with a greater purpose; to humble them and test them to know what was in their hearts, to purge them, purify them, and teach them greater dependance on him, he will do the same for you. And while it may feel punitive, it’s not. God in his kindness is pruning you and creating a greater depth and authenticity in your relationship with him.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
Pruning is painful but it has purpose. My times in the wilderness have revealed self-dependence, pride, placing my worth and confidence in my work, my finances, my reputation, my relationships and my performance. Difficult seasons have uncovered idols of comfort, certainty, and control, impatience, and even anger when things were not going the way that I imagined they should. Just as we see God testing the Israelites to see what was in their hearts, God tests you to see what is your heart. And he does that out of love because he doesn’t want you or me attached to anything less than him because Jesus truly is the only one that can satisfy your deepest longings. He is your provider and sustainer, the lover of your soul.
When you are in a wilderness season, what comes to the surface? What attitudes, thoughts, or behaviors might God be purging from you? How might he be humbling you and testing you to reveal what is in your heart? Will you allow the season to produce bitterness or cultivate humility? Strengthen your faith or fall into futile thinking? Induce gratitude or grumbling? Be the breeding ground for spiritual maturity or an excuse to abandon your faith? Endurance and perseverance will be required in the wilderness.
And sometimes when you find yourself in seasons of testing and pruning you can forget that suffering is part of the Christian journey. We often want to avoid suffering and are surprised by it when it happens to us, but suffering is a part of life and it will always have a purpose.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).
Because you have hope in Jesus, you can be assured that your painful seasons are not wasted. They are building your character and producing Christ-likeness.
As I reflect on seasons of wilderness in my life that seemed pointless at the time I have come to realize it was in part because I was not prepared for them. And by prepared I don’t mean that you will be able to predict when the wilderness is coming or prevent yourself from entering a long stretch but there is a way to position yourself to prosper rather than fall into despair when times of refining come. Oftentimes we wait until we find ourselves in a desert season and then we go into a minor panic because of our lack of preparation. And again, while preparing will not prevent a desert season it will equip you to persevere.
I was doing a little research online about surviving in the wilderness when I stumbled across a few websites for hikers. There was one article called, “Wilderness Survival Gear: Tools you should always have in your pack.” Any hiker will tell you that to survive long hikes in uncharted territory, it takes preparation and certain equipment. Food, a fire starter, knife, map, compass, whistle, and headlamp to name a few.
It reminded me of “tools” we should always have “on hand,” things as followers of Jesus we should make our practice in and out of every season. And not merely to survive but thrive, especially when we enter the backwoods of life.
Food is one thing that is essential for the wilderness, and our food is feasting on the Word of God. Making it a daily habit of meditating on God’s Word. Sometimes you will have five minutes, other days you will have 60 or somewhere in between. Don’t let that deter you. You need the nourishment of Scripture daily. Make it a habit first thing in the morning. Scripture before screen time. Before you are tempted to scroll on social media, meet with Jesus! Let his wisdom influence you and start your day rather than being tempted and distracted by influencers vying for your attention. The Bible is your food, your map, your headlamp for life and your guide in wilderness seasons; as Psalm 119:105 says, “Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
God’s Word also teaches you and reminds you of his character and this will be crucial in wilderness seasons. How you view God and what you think about him will be fruitful or fatal in times of trial. If you know that God is for you and that he is faithful in every season, while still difficult, when you ultimately grow to trust God you will be able to grab onto truth and stay grounded. Practicing rhythms of silence and stillness are essential tools, too. Take time now to slow down and get into the habit of coming before The Lord and just simply being in his presence. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you increase your sensitivity to him. When you grow in your ability to sense God’s presence you will also grow in your ability to see his provision in your life even in challenging times.
Which brings me to another point about God’s purpose in the wilderness. These seasons are opportunities for you to finetune your aptitude, to be keenly aware of the ways that God is providing for you. Here’s the thing. God is Jehovah-Jireh which literally means, “The Lord will provide.” Provider is who God is. It is his nature, his character. When you are in a wilderness season it can be easy to believe that God is not providing but that is impossible because God’s nature never changes. Your circumstances do not change God’s character.
When you increase in your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and ask him to help you see the ways he is providing for you in this season, he will open your eyes. I can personally attest to this. There was a long wilderness season in my life where I was terrified, uncertain, and felt totally out of control. I desperately cried out to the Lord to guide me and to show me all of the ways he was providing for me in the unknown season. And he did.
God is your provider. He is providing for you at this very moment. Ask him to help you see, and when he does, thank him. Have a heart of gratitude even if you would rather have another flavor of manna; don’t be like the Israelites in the dessert.
The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (Numbers 11:4-6).
God’s provision in the wilderness may look different than you would like or expect but choose to be grateful that he is supplying what you need. In the wilderness time I referenced, I had to remind myself to not be picky about the provision but be grateful and trust that the Lord knew what he was doing in my seasons of waiting.
He provides in the midst of every circumstance you face. In the desert God showed the Israelites his provision by not only giving them manna to eat. He showed his protecting presence by giving them a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide their way (Exodus 13:21). He showed them his faithfulness by never leaving or forsaking them as they forged through the unknown.
God does the same for you and he invites you to call out to him in times of uncertainty. King David experienced many wilderness seasons in his life, and we see throughout Psalms how he cries out to God. In Psalm 55:16-17, 22, King David declares,
As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice….Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
In his moment of distress and uncertainty, David believed that God was sovereign. He put his dependance and trust in God and that kept him from being swallowed up in his wilderness seasons.
The Lord may seem silent in your wilderness, but he hears you and invites you to call out to him.
King David also shows us the importance of having a posture of praise as he worships in the wilderness.You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you (Psalm 63:1-5).
And finally, remember that Jesus also had a wilderness experience and satan tried to use it as a time for self-reliance and doubting God. But Jesus stood firm. Satan wants to take you down with doubt, discouragement, and distraction and tempt you to detour from your faith but stand firm fellow follower. Expect God’s faithfulness to help you get through desert places.
I really want to encourage you not to despair, not to lose faith, not to let go of God in your life, but stand in this season as a person who believes that she is deeply loved by God.
The wilderness is a period in your life in which true faith can emerge. It’s a place of purpose where God provides as he purges and produces greater character in you. Your life will bear fruit in ways that are far beyond your own predications or understanding.
Pray to God. “Lord, help me not waste the wilderness. I want to look back on this time seeing that I trusted you.”
When you finally leave the wilderness, you will not be the same person who entered it, as long as you let it do what it needs to do. At the end of the day, when you lean in, trust, and surrender, the wilderness will be the gateway to deep connection with God. And as Philippians 4:19 says,
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”