Have you ever wondered how you ended up in some of life’s harsh wilderness experiences? Was it due to a foolish choice, a financial setback, a relational catastrophe or a physical diagnosis? Have you ever pondered the fact God might be involved in your wilderness habitat?
Some interesting passages in the Bible support this:
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. Matthew 4:1
God said, “I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a Doorway of Hope…I will cause her to dance as in the days of her youth.” Hosea 2:14-15
The wilderness is severe. I don’t know about you, but when those fierce winds howl, I do too.
If you’ve ever navigated a wilderness experience, you identify with that weakness of longing, the need of refreshment for your parched soul. In the wilderness, one feels vulnerable and afraid, exposed and threatened. It’s there one aches for some source of comfort. Yet it is also in the wilderness where the tender voice of God often becomes the loudest voice to our soul. It’s a place we discover his tenderness and power to turn our sorrow into dancing.
He often uses the wilderness to forge character. This thing called character is really no different than physical muscle—it doesn’t grow unless it’s challenged. Jesus exemplified the strength gained in the wilderness when he was tempted on every level by the devil for a 40-day stretch: His flesh craved food so Satan tempted him to turn stones into bread. His humanity shrouded his boundless divinity, so Satan tempted him to jump from the highest point of the temple to prove he was still God. Jesus yearned for the world to know Him, so Satan promised him the entire earth if he would simply kneel and worship him.
Yet, Jesus didn’t cave in, in the wilderness. Clinging to Truth, He grew stronger in the Spirit every time he denied fleshly desires. Bulked up in the Spirit, He came out of the wilderness forty days later, declaring his mission:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to liberate the oppressed,
and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Luke 4:18-19 Common English Bible
As I reflect on the desert experiences I’ve navigated, it’s there I overcame my deepest fears. It was there the roots of my faith gripped deeply into Christ’s love. I experienced His power to transform any trouble, large or small, into a gateway toward hope.
We’ll never grow spiritual muscle without taxing the delicate muscles we currently recognize. One doesn’t lose weight watching workout videos. Nor does one learn to ride a bike, reading articles on cycling. We must get out there and rotate the pedals. We must experience the pulled muscles and crash-landings to discover the thrill of the ride.
In the same way, we can’t read about strength gained through hardship and expect to become strong. It’s when we experience hardship, when we find ourselves on the field trip of sorrow, that we have an opportunity to grow. God made a profound promise in Hosea: He will speak tenderly to us in the wilderness. He will turn our place of trouble into a doorway of new-found hope. As angels took care of Jesus in the wilderness, we will discover the intimacy of God’s care in our wilderness. He comes alongside us, equipping us to prevail over every trial and temptation. Be encouraged today, the tenuous strength you long for is found in the harshest environments.
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