In the Wilderness
Sometimes, we find ourselves wandering outside our comfort zone of familiarity or waiting through seasons of uncertainty. The road may not always stretch ahead of us with clarity, or it may seem to go on endlessly. Sometimes, our path even appears to lead us away from the common road. We might find that we’re moving in the opposite direction of where most of the traffic is flowing toward. Perhaps we’re treading new ground or journeying toward an unknown destination after redirection or revelation.
These are the times in life I refer to as The Wilderness.
In the Bible, God brings his people into the Wilderness in many ways and for many reasons, like Exodus, Exile, or for Examination of their faith and character. That’s why I define The Wilderness as:
A Season or Setting of Uncertainty, Outside of Comfort and Familiarity, in which God Proves Himself as Lord, Protector, and Provider, and Where Character is Forged and Tested.
Once we’ve become aware that we’ve entered the Wilderness, and we understand the possible reasons God has brought us there, instead of trying to escape it desperately, we can work to discern why God may have brought us there and what it is that he wants to do within us.
God Proves Himself as Lord, Protector, and Provider in the Wilderness.
The whole book of Exodus encompasses this. God proved himself faithful to his promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants beyond counting. In the time of Moses, the nation of Israel had grown so large that the Egyptians enslaved them out of fear they would be outnumbered and overcome by the Israelites. But God brought his people out of slavery, and proved himself more powerful than the gods and rulers of the nation of Egypt. In the book of Exodus, God miraculously rescued his people, removing them from the reach of their enemies.
Not only did God rescue his people from slavery, but he provided for them in the desert when it seemed as though they would starve to death or die of thirst. He provided exactly what they needed with the manna and quail, never too much or too little. Along with his provision, God also provided rules and regulations to establish their customs as a people, since they had no traditions or identity of their own apart from slavery during their time in Egypt.
So some of the reasons you may find yourself in the Wilderness is that God is bringing you out of a harmful or oppressive situation and longs to show you his goodness and give you a greater identity and sense of security.
Character is Forged in the Wilderness.
Before leading God’s people out of their enslavement in Egypt, Moses grew up among the nobility of Egypt, even though he was an Israelite, since Pharaoh’s daughter took him in as her own child. He spent the first forty years of his life learning the tools of leadership in Egypt.
What’s always fascinated me is how God led Moses to flee Egypt after living there for forty years and to live in the Wilderness for forty years more before sending him back to Egypt to rescue the Israelites from bondage. During those forty years in the Wilderness, Moses developed new skills for surviving in the desert. So by the time he led the people of Israel across the Red Sea, not only was Moses proficient in leadership skills, but he also knew how to survive the Wilderness, both of which could be used daily for the next forty years as the nation of Israel wandered in the desert.
Similarly, David spent many years in the wilderness before he was appointed King of Israel. King Saul pursued David to kill him, since he threatened his position as king, since the people loved him more they loved Saul after the defeat of Goliath and the Philistine army.
While on the run, David faced many trials and challenges, but he also had some of his most profound experiences of God's grace and provision. He even encountered many of the mighty men who would lead the ranks of his armies. During David’s time on the run, God forged the character of one of the greatest kings of Israel.
God may have you in the Wilderness because he’s forging the character necessary for the next season he will lead you to. Great character is required to carry out greater responsibilities faithfully.
Character is Tested in the Wilderness.
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, before the official launch of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Holy Spirit leads him into the wilderness right after baptism. There, Jesus spends forty days fasting and praying before Satan arrives to tempt him with the allure of Approval, Appetite, and Ambition.
The temptation that Christ faced in the Wilderness tested his character before he set out on the main mission he came to Earth to fulfill. Jesus Christ came as the Messiah to save us from our sins by dying a death that washes clean all those who believe in him, defeating the power of sin that keeps us stuck in cycles with no hope.
Before his death, Jesus healed many and taught of the Kingdom of God, giving hope to the broken world for redemption and restoration. After his death, Jesus Christ also rose from the dead, defeating death itself, so that death would no longer have the final say but that we could be reunited with Christ and our loved ones who passed before us. He will also return one day to make all things right finally.
But before all this, Jesus’ character was tested in the Wilderness. Many people would choose not to accept him and his message during his earthly ministry, even after his resurrection. He could have easily given in to a desire for Approval and changed his message to be more palatable, but it would not have been faithful to who he is. He could have sold out his ministry to live a more comfortable life of Appetite among the rich, but that would have taken him away from those who needed him most.
Lastly, the Israelites expected the Messiah to be a man who would ride in spectacularly and overthrow the oppressive Roman Empire and violently strike down all of Israel’s enemies. Jesus could have given in to Ambition and become the conquering hero the people expected. Still, he arrived as the Savior they needed because Christ’s ministry wasn’t about the temporary victories or comfortabilities here in this life, but about Salvation and Eternal Life in Heaven.
All of these temptations Jesus passed in the Wilderness to prove he was the Son of God, and had the character to back it up.
God may have led you into the Wilderness to test the readiness of your character before entering your next season, especially if that season will require more of you than you were accustomed to.