...instead of looking for the Lord in the wilderness, we distract ourselves with activities to numb ourselves from the testing we are going through...we choose everything else instead of the One who will carry us through the wilderness.
Currently, I find myself in a wilderness season, and I’m not coping well with it at all. In fact, most days I am fighting it, which is not a good example of persevering in the face of testing. AI’s definition of a “wilderness season” in the Christian context is “a period of difficulty, testing, and spiritual refinement, often characterized by isolation, challenges, and a sense of dryness or lack of spiritual progress. It's a time when individuals are drawn away from the familiar and into a place of vulnerability and dependence on God. This season is not intended to be a permanent state, but rather a period of preparation and growth, where God shapes character, strengthens faith, and reveals Himself in new ways.” I am ashamed to say I am failing these tests…
It all started with a nuisance cold at the beginning of June that unfortunately impacted a mini-vacation we took, where I felt miserable the entire time. After only being home a few days, I ended up catching what I assumed was the flu and was diagnosed with pneumonia. I had a fever for 12 days and threw out my back from coughing so much. I am still in a lot of pain as a result. Amid this sickness, I spent my birthday in bed. I missed out on a wedding and reception that I had been looking forward to for months and also missed out on a ministry BBQ that I was excited to attend.
On top of the pain and missed events, I am still extremely fatigued. As a high-energy person, this is very frustrating. I am also going through all manner of circumstances that have been taxing mentally and emotionally, feeling a bit like Job. However, I realize that there are many who are going through far worse and unimaginable circumstances than I am. But for me, this is my Achilles heel, and the testing is very real.
Despite my complaining, resentment, and anger, I have been diligent about spending time in the Word now that the fever has broken. Interestingly, I am in Exodus, at the time when God saved the Israelites from Pharaoh: “Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, 'The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.' Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt… Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” Exodus 13:17-18; 20-22
I found it curious that the Lord didn’t lead the people by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near, because the people might change their minds when they saw war and want to return to slavery in Egypt. Instead, He led them through the wilderness, which was a longer, more difficult journey.
The Lord knows our hearts, and He knows our weaknesses. God was using the wilderness to ensure success, not to frustrate the Israelites. In our human flesh, all we see is the wilderness, the difficulty, the overwhelm, the frustration. But what we should be looking for is how the Lord will use this time in the wilderness to strengthen us.
May we be encouraged by the following reasons why a season in the wilderness is really not a bad place to be:
Testing and Humility
"And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you by experience, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not." Deuteronomy 8:2
Nobody likes tests, but even Jesus was tested for 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness with no food or water, where Satan tempted and harassed Him. God does not ask us to go through anything that He hasn’t gone through Himself.
When we are in a wilderness season, what’s truly in our hearts gets refined. We may start out like I did with complaining, resentment, and anger, but the Lord will use that to bring forth a heart refined for His glory. We need to get to the end of ourselves and willfully choose to join in the suffering of the Lord, to humble ourselves before Him, and allow His testing to have its way with us. Then, when the testing has accomplished ultimate goodness for us, we will come out of the wilderness praising God.
God’s Provision and Presence
"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19). This verse cheers my heart. God is indeed the Way Maker, even when we are in the wilderness. His presence goes with us, and He provides all that we need.
Unfortunately, too often, instead of looking for the Lord in the wilderness, we distract ourselves with activities to numb ourselves from the testing we are going through. Whether it be mindless scrolling on social media or addictive behavior, we choose everything else instead of the One who will carry us through the wilderness.
After Jesus went through His wilderness season, we are told in Matthew 4:11, "Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him." Not only does Jesus minister to us after the testing, but He ministers to us in the testing. Allow the Lord to refresh you even in the fiery furnace. He has promised that His presence and provision will go with you. Take Him at His Word. The God of the Israelites who went with them in the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night is the same God who will accompany you in your wilderness season.
Learning and Growth
"A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Isaiah 40:3
Years ago, I participated in a Beth Moore study, and I’ll never forget something she said: “You want to ace the test the first time so you don’t have to go through it again.” She’s not implying that wilderness seasons will cease, but what she is saying is that God may repeat a test if we don’t get it right the first time. This does not mean that God is vindictive, but He wants us to learn and grow from the testing, which will strengthen our faith and our witness.
When we abide with the Lord in the wilderness, we will be more open to His teaching and better able to receive His pruning and watering as He seeks to cultivate us into strong believers who come out of the wilderness with a testimony to encourage others in their wilderness seasons.
If seasons were always easy for us, in our flesh, we’d depend upon ourselves more and more and less on God. Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, our time in the wilderness is to teach us dependence upon God.
Oftentimes, learning and growth are born out of pain, but the Lord is careful with His tests. They are individually chosen to bring about specific fruit in our lives that He has ordained.
I’d like to close with several quotes from the great theologian Charles Spurgeon, who said the following about testing, of which he was well acquainted:
"No faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs through adversity. Tested faith brings experience. You would never have believed your own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you would never have known God's strength had His strength not been needed to carry you through."
"When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head."
"And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart."
Let us remember all that we discussed here the next time we are in a wilderness season. It’s actually not a bad place to be.
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