Wilderness Seasons

Have you ever wondered why God allowed the Israelites to wonder in the desert for 40 years after delivering them from the bondage of the Egyptians? Or why Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the desert being tempted at the beginning of his ministry? Why would God, the one who called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, and gave His son in human form, send them into the desert for so long when His intention all along was to save and in the end give them a Savior? Why experience wilderness seasons when the He already promised the blessings that came at the end? Why was it necessary to spend time in the wilderness at all?

Maybe you are spending time in the wilderness right now. “Wilderness or wild land is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with roads, pipelines or other industrial infrastructure.” (Wikipedia.com, emphasis mine). Hmmm, those last truly wild places that humans do not control. Maybe things for you are out of control. Maybe your life is currently in a state of nothingness. Days just go by, nothing seems to change, the good is still good, and the bad is still bad and maybe you’re not hearing much from God or anything at all. That may be your wilderness. However you define your wilderness state there is one thing you can be assured of. You are not alone. What you are is not in control.

Maybe, like many of us, you are spending your time in the wilderness missing the point. So, what is the point? I believe God allows us wilderness seasons because we need to understand how much we really need Him. The Israelites wondered in the desert for 38 years before coming close enough to the promised land to send scouts in but Deuteronomy 1:2 tells us that in reality the trip from Egypt to the land of milk and honey should have taken eleven days. They took a very long, very round about way to get to a land in which enemies lived that would require conquering before they could settle in what they had been promised. David spent his first 15 years after being appointed by God through the prophet Samuel living in 15 different places, most of it hiding from the corrupt King Saul who in jealousy wanted David dead. It was not until David’s thirtieth birthday that he finally became King of Israel. David wrote Psalms during that time, Psalms of sorrow, frustration, praise, and thanksgiving. David’s time in the wilderness helped him know God better. One of the most beloved Psalm’s, the twenty-third references David’s wilderness when in verse four he says “Even when I walk through a very dark valley, I am not afraid, because you are with me.”

Let’s face it; the wilderness can be very dark, cold and lonely. It can be a time of tears, and mourning. It can be divorce, and addiction, rejection, loneliness, despair, financial crisis, depression, spiritual dryness, childlessness, singleness. Whatever your wilderness you are assured that you are not alone. Isaiah 43:18-19 says “Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don’t you see it? I will make a road in the desert and rivers in the dry land.” God says, I am making a way for you, even in the wilderness. Isaiah 41 and 42 both tell us “He is holding our hands”.

When Jesus was in the desert being tempted He responded to each temptation with an Old Testament lesson. He was prepared for the wilderness season because he knew God’s word. When you enter into the wilderness seasons of your life, God gives you an instruction book. God often drives us into the wilderness so that we can realize just how empty our own personal resources are. He calls to us to rest in Him, rely on Him and yes, trust Him.

If you are experiencing a time in the wilderness, call on the One who is walking beside you. The Psalms are full of reassurances that God listens to us, loves us and protects us. David learned those lessons in his own personal wilderness season. All we have to do is trust him, not ourselves. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “lean not on your own understanding. Remember the Lord in all you do and he will make your paths straight”. Are you trusting and leaning on him during the wilderness times in your life? The path out won’t be clear until you are. Begin by spending time with him, he will show you the way.