In A “Wilderness” Season

– Ponderings:

There must’ve been an increase in the wind around 4 am this morning because one of my dogs had to wake me up to let me know she was concerned. So, I’ve been up for a while reading a book I bought over a year ago but hadn’t gotten to yet. The book is Inspired by Rachel Held Evans. I don’t always agree with what she writes about the Bible, but she challenges me to consider different points of view and I thank her for that.

She reminds me that the Bible is complicated and nuanced, and it doesn’t always yield itself easily to our understanding. In fact, when we think we have “the” answer, it’s probably time to go back and take another look. She writes, “If you’re curious, you will never leave the text without learning something new. If you’re persistent, you just might leave inspired.”

One of the themes that runs throughout the Bible is that of the wilderness or desert. The wilderness is not just a place on a map … it’s a stage of life, a feeling, part of a journey. Some are banished to the wilderness as a test or as punishment for sin. Others flee there to escape from personal problems or oppression. Others find it a place to hide from expectations. Others find it a place of refuge from grief or pain. However, biblically, while the wilderness offers seclusion, it’s also a place of danger and desolation. You can survive in the wilderness but you won’t thrive there. God’s voice may be heard or God’s presence may be seen calling or trying to lead you out of the wilderness, but God doesn’t live in the wilderness.

The Bible teaches us that we all have our wilderness times and we often find ourselves there for different reasons. Some stays may be short; others, longer. But each wilderness story reminds us of a truth: God makes a way out where there seems to be no way. Wilderness stories are deliverance stories.

In our own lives, we may find ourselves in “wilderness” seasons—times of loss, uncertainty, or isolation. Perhaps you are in one now. When we’re lost in the wilderness, it’s hard to see where we’re going or where the wilderness ends (if it ends). Yet it’s often in the wilderness that we discover God’s presence in a unique and life-changing way. When everything else fades, we realize that God alone is our true source of strength and guidance.

Even Jesus was transformed in the wilderness, preparing him for the road ahead. It did the same for Abraham, Hagar, Moses, Naomi and Ruth, Elijah, David, and so many more men and women of the Bible, This pattern reminds us that our wilderness seasons, too, can prepare us for new purposes and growth if we keep our eyes open for God’s presence and voice.

Are you in a “wilderness” season right now? How might God be inviting you to lean on him in this time? How can the stories of others in the Bible encourage you as you navigate your own wilderness season?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being with me even in the wilderness. Help me trust that you have a purpose for every season, especially the hard and lonely ones. When I feel empty, fill me with your Spirit. When I feel lost, remind me of your presence. Draw me closer to you, Lord, and let this wilderness transform me to be more like you. Amen.