Inside: We may feel like we’re wasting time when we’re stuck in the wilderness, but these tough seasons can transform our hearts and prepare us for what’s next like nothing else. ~
The topic of the wilderness seems to be coming up quite a bit lately. I’m taking a Bible study at church about it. My blogger friend Michele Morin touched on it in our recent Q&A.
I’m not in a wilderness season myself—not right now, anyway. I’ve been there before, though, and I’m guessing you have too.
A former pastor described the wilderness as “a particular time or place between where you are and where God wants you to be.” It may seem like we’re wasting time while we’re there, but the truth is, these dry, desolate landscapes have the potential to transform our hearts and prepare us for what’s next like nothing else.
Years ago, in a class I taught at church, we talked about what the wilderness looks like, why it’s so hard and why God allows us to linger there. If you are trudging through a desert of your own right now, I hope the following truths gleaned from my lesson notes provide perspective and encouragement for you today.
Into the Wilderness
• Every Christian goes through wilderness experiences, some more than others.
• Not every hard or inconvenient thing is the wilderness.
• Sometimes we don’t know we’re in the wilderness until we’re well into it.
• Sometimes the wilderness is difficult because it’s so intense; sometimes it’s the length of time is that makes it hard.
• When we’re in the wilderness, we need to accept the fact that we are there and might be there for quite some time.
God is With Us
• God is sovereign over the wilderness. He tests us and may allow sifting, but whatever happens, we are never completely at the mercy of Satan.
• While in the wilderness, we should remember that God is with us, but not expect Him to live up to our expectations of what He will look like or do.
• When we are at the end of our rope in the wilderness, God will strengthen us.
• At our lowest points—laid bare with no idea how to move forward—we need to hold on to the realization that God is enough.
Life Goes On
• Life goes on in the wilderness. Just because we’re there doesn’t mean we’re going to be miserable all the time.
• When we get a respite in the wilderness, we should try to enjoy it. Cue a verse I’ve loved forever: “Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.” (Exodus 15:27)
• Things are not always as they seem in the wilderness. Just as deserts have mirages, so our foggy minds can play tricks on us. Cue another verse that is one of my go-to prayers: “Send Your light and Your truth; let them lead me.” (Psalm 43:3)
Heart Work
• If we are in the wilderness due to no fault of our own, it’s because our loving heavenly Father deems it necessary. It’s the right place to be if He has allowed us to be there.
• If we get there because we’ve run away or made bad choices, God is still there. We need to move toward Him; He will redeem.
• God leads us and takes care of us in the wilderness, even when sin puts us there.
• It may be hard to see except in retrospect, but one heart issue that God often deals with in the wilderness is pride. (Ask me how I know.)
After the Wilderness
• Some wilderness experiences end victoriously; some end quietly.
• Even when we can see the wilderness in our rearview mirror, we may never be completely “over it.” Scars and sadness may always serve as reminders of where we’ve been and how it has affected us.
• The wilderness will change us, so our ministries may be completely different once we leave than they were before we got there. Remember: God doesn’t just have one assignment for us in life; He gives us different ones during different seasons.
• When the rough terrain becomes smooth again, we need to appreciate where we are, which is NOT in the wilderness.
Now that you’ve read my list, I would love to know: What has the wilderness taught you that you may not have learned somewhere else? Also, if you stopped on any of these points and thought, I’d love to read more about that one, let me know in the comments.
♥ Lois
While in the wilderness, we should remember that God is with us, but not expect Him to live up to our expectations of what He will look like or do. Click To Tweet If we are in the wilderness due to no fault of our own, it’s because our loving heavenly Father deems it necessary. It’s the right place to be if He has allowed us to be there. Click To Tweet The wilderness will change us, so our ministries may be completely different once we leave than they were before we got there. Click To TweetP.S. I’m linking up this week with #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth.
16 comments
Wow, Lois, I needed to read your post this morning. I think I may be in the wilderness; if not, it is a hard time. Your wisdom brought me peace, reminding me that God is with me and I will make it through. I love this quote, “While in the wilderness, we should remember that God is with us, but not expect Him to live up to our expectations of what He will look like or do.” I had one of these moments this week. Yet, when I trusted him, I saw God move. It was not exactly as I had expected, but God was good.
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https://www.pinterest.com/embracingtheune/grace-truth-christian-link-up-featured-posts/.
Aw, Maree … I’m so glad the post was encouraging to you. Thanks for sharing it on your Pinterest board. Hugs, friend.
So appreciated this, friend! I’d love to hear more about when we’re where we are because of sin – I don’t read much on that (might just be where I’m looking though!)
From my own wilderness times, I would also add that the wilderness offers a unique opportunity to pay attention to what God is doing and who He is because there is so much less actively distracting you in that season!
I love your takeaway from the wilderness, Bethany. There is always good to be found and more of God to be discovered, no matter where we are.
Such great points, Lois. Thank you. My heart is especially comforted by this Truth – “God is sovereign over the wilderness. He tests us and may allow sifting, but whatever happens, we are never completely at the mercy of Satan.” It may feel sometimes like Satan has the upper hand in the wilderness or other hard seasons, but if we can focus on God’s sovereignty and faithfulness, it makes so much difference, doesn’t it? Love and blessings to you!
It does make a difference, Trudy. Your words remind me of the message of the song “He Didn’t Bring Us This Far to Leave Us.” Such a comforting thought! Love and hugs to you, dear friend.
Lois, this is such a good post. Even though we would want to avoid time in the wilderness, there is much to be learned in those times. So I went back over your list and wanted to pick one truth from each area.
“Not every hard or inconvenient thing is the wilderness.” Amen.
“God is sovereign over the wilderness. He tests us and may allow sifting, but whatever happens, we are never completely at the mercy of Satan.” Again, amen! Even in the wilderness, God is sovereign and will not abandon us to the enemy.
“Life goes on in the wilderness. Just because we’re there doesn’t mean we’re going to be miserable all the time.” Amen! I have been amazed at the times I felt joy in the middle of those wilderness times.
“God leads us and takes care of us in the wilderness, even when sin puts us there.” Again amen! Even when it is not our sin but caused by the sin of others, He is faithful to take care of us.
And then your last point is a big amen. We may have scars, our lives will be changed, but God redeems it all and brings a gratitude for all we have learned.
I know I have said it before, but Lois, this is one of your best posts 🙂 And sorry for my lengthy comments. But it was all so good!
Aw, Joanne … thank you so much for your kind words. I appreciated your responses to these points very much. I’d love to know more about those times when you experienced joy in the wilderness. 🙂
Well, this is triggering a number of thoughts. I usually think of wilderness experiences in relation to Israel’s being stuck there for 40 years because of their sin in not going into Canaan when they were supposed to. But Jesus also had a wilderness experience. Their purposes were different. He told Israel afterward, “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2). And we’re told Jesus “was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1). It seems wilderness experiences are testing grounds. But we’re to remember how God led and provided. And we need to be strong in His Word to fend off the evil one.
Thanks for setting my mental wheels in motion this afternoon. 🙂 You’ve made so many good points here. You could expand on these in a book. 🙂
Haha, Barbara … I’ll put that on my list of potential books waiting to be written. 🙂 Or maybe you can write it? It’s helpful to remember that God is sovereign over the wilderness, and that His purpose for each experience there is good.
You have so many great points here, Lois. Sometimes I tend to think with a “happy ever after” kind of mindset. I’m not sure why I always revert to this. Maybe it’s from my love of books and movies. But I forget sometimes that it doesn’t exist here. Not yet. There will be wilderness times again, but there will be good times in between too. One thing I’ve had to learn also is not to worry about the wilderness before it happens. As the Bible says, don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow. Today’s is sufficient. Thank you so much for this wonderful post. It’ll be sticking with me.
I’m tracking with you 100 percent here, Ashley. One silver lining from losing my parents and also from the pandemic was that it finally sank into my thick skull that it’s actually possible not to worry about tomorrow. I don’t do this perfectly, far from it. But it’s good to notice improvement, right? 🙂
God is at work in the wilderness. That’s the part I always forget! He never takes us into the wilderness to abandon us there.
Amen, Michele. He leads us there, no matter how we got there. There’s so much comfort in that!
‘Not every hard or inconvenient thing is the wilderness.’
That’s a really good point, Lois. Too often we want to hang a label on something for whatever reason.
Sometimes life just happens because we’re living in a fallen world.
So true, Linda. Another example of how labels can hurt more than they help. Hugs, friend.