Click above to listen to my message or read it below, and then share it with someone who needs encouragement during a wilderness experience.
Life Without God is a Difficult Wilderness Experience
They were the worst of times for me, but in a way, I will always consider them the best. It might seem odd, but when life has been its most challenging, since I’ve grown close to God, those times became treasured experiences.
Prior to knowing God, I had a complaining heart. Filled with self-pity, I looked negatively on much around me. Struggles felt constant to me, and the heavy burden showed in my behavior, in how I carried myself, and ultimately, in how I was treated.
It seems I received what I perceived.
With God, Challenging Times Are Times of Retreat
However, since God introduced Himself to me, facing challenging times has equated to stepping into a blessed time of retreat with Him. When asked my thoughts of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, it is this beautiful time of intimacy with the Father that comes to mind.
Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He was fasting from food. His focus was on the Father. It didn’t matter that Satan was there to taunt Him. He was grounded in knowing the Father intimately. Because of this, His allegiance to God would not be swayed.
Each of Go Through the Wilderness
We go through times such as these forty days in the wilderness, as well. We experience loss of a loved one, job, marriage, friendship, security. We are impacted by tragedy, change, wickedness. Whether we understand it or not, God’s Spirit leads us into and through these storms of life.
We are tempted to gossip, exact revenge, give up, be self-serving. Jesus understands! We are offered opportunities that are questionable. Satan knows how to show us what we want to see. He is sly and paints a pretty picture that makes bad seem so good. Jesus understands!
How can we go through the difficulties of this mortal life and not give in to such temptations? How can we be strong like Jesus was during those forty days?
Get Close to God, the Author of Scripture
Simply knowing scripture won’t give you the strength necessary. Jesus quoted it, but so did the devil. The verses themselves don’t hold freedom. We can meditate on them for assurance, yet the true power comes not from the written words but from the Creator of them.
Grow close to God, the Author of scripture. Place Him at your center. Make Him the most important thing in your life. Become so connected to Him, so that you don’t waver when trouble arises. Be so reliant on Him that when you read your Bible you sense Him speaking the words into your heart, illuminating meaning to your innermost parts, and revealing truth that is transformative.
We are Led By the Spirit In and Through Change
God sends us into and through change that He deems necessary, but His Spirit is with us to lead and to lean into. Our limited points of view prevent us from understanding. This is why a relationship with and faith in God is so important. As His Spirit leads us into wilderness experiences, a trust in God and His will keeps us safe and gives us strength. Our hope becomes grounded in the knowledge that God truly is at work.
Enduring difficulties on this earthly journey can be a time of great, intimate connection with our Father. Satan may be taunting and trying to tempt us, but these times of retreat with God highlight His mighty power and protection over us. It is during such occasions that we get to sense the living God with us and witness His miraculous work in us.
A Treasure in the Wilderness
Entwined with the Father, the wilderness experience might just be a treasured time. The testimony that comes next declares a love and servitude for One who sets us free. So focus on God and sense the blessing of His presence.
Ultimately, Satan has no more power over us. Jesus’ act at the cross removed sin’s control in our lives. The Helper being sent to us, the Holy Spirit, instills wisdom to discern, strength to withstand, and contentment to ward off temptation.
God is with you. Look to Him during any wilderness journey. You are not alone.
For more on Jesus’ time in the wilderness and Satan’s attempts to influence us, click to read Never Stop Worshiping God.