The desert. It might not be your first choice for your next vacation getaway or a short weekend trip. Most people think the desert is full of things like scorpions, rattlesnakes, intense heat, and dry vast areas without water. Partially true, but yet our Creator can bring forth rivers within them. Isaiah 43:19 says,
“Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Have you ever been in one of those desert or wilderness experiences? An experience where it’s seemingly desolate, with no water and without any vegetation? Perhaps God sometimes uses this place to get our attention. To take us from our preplanned, busy schedules and get us alone so He can change us or perhaps speak to us?
Oftentimes, these desert and wilderness experiences come on the heels of a mountaintop experience. We know that good times and bad come upon believers and non-believers alike. We are taught that we are to praise and thank God at all times: good, bad, highs and lows. I thought I was doing this to an extent, but the Lord had to teach me, first of all, not to grumble when things don’t quite go the way I wish they would.
I have been praying that the Holy Spirit would help me walk in the nine fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Okay, when you pray these types of prayers, you know you are going to be tested on them. I thought, well, I have a few of them conquered; so I thought. Then came the test, lots of tests.
My husband and I went to Arizona to visit family and friends and do some hiking and desert riding. Two days into the trip, our sweet, precious 14-year-old lab, Bella, wanted out of the RV now! As I turned to help her out, she leaped into the side of my leg, and I thought she had broken it. I yelled out in pain, turned to help her down, and started to cry. My husband asked what happened, and I told him. Thankfully, she didn’t break it, only badly bruised it. Plans to walk and hike were thwarted. I was unable to walk normally for about two weeks. I prayed, and God healed me, and then I got a cold and some respiratory crud for two more weeks. OK, I asked, “What is going on here?” All of a sudden, I felt a bit upset because I couldn’t do what I planned to do.
I became bored, and yes, I grumbled. But God! Here is where He wanted me in the first place—surrendered to Him, still and quiet. I do a daily Bible devotion with my dear friend. Can you guess what it was called? “Fruit Bowl!” Yep, the nine fruits of the Spirit were highlighted right before my very eyes. We had done the devotion on love, and now we were on joy. I had lost my joy. It was as if, on those mountaintop days, I was looking through rose-colored glasses. Everything was pleasant and going great; then came the trials, and off went the rose-colored glasses. One thing after another kept going wrong. I did what most fleshly human beings would do: complain. I gave place to each and every bad event that came along instead of looking up and saying, “Jesus, help me,” and giving God place over all my bad, crazy, hurtful circumstances and resting in His peace.
Let’s look at the Israelites, for example, when leaving Egypt. They were experiencing a mountaintop deliverance from slavery; God parted the Red Sea right before them, and they were freed from slavery. What happened next was the journey through the desert. God provided them with quail to eat, Manna, and water from a rock. But yet, they complained constantly and failed the test. An 11-day journey turned into 40 years in the wilderness. Hard to believe? Not really. If I were to put myself in their shoes, would I not do the same thing? Let’s not be too quick to throw stones because we know how that story ends as well.
Even Jesus had a wilderness experience. After Jesus was baptized, He was taken by the Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days, being tempted by Satan. It is in God’s plan that each of us go through times of testing and those wilderness experiences. We are never without His presence and grace; He is just a whisper away. He is always there to lead us through, guide us, and protect us.
While in my desert experience, I opened my Bible, read devotions, and listened to teachings. Most importantly, I sat quietly and humbled myself before God. I cried out to Him and asked Him to help me and give me the strength to get through this desert place I was in. Friend, we aren’t meant to struggle and fight battles alone. When we submit to God and resist the devil, he must flee. When we give God our burdens and our trust, He gives us His peace, joy, and hope. I have learned to ask Him, “What am I supposed to learn here?” Instead of saying, “Why am I here?”
God is faithful and trustworthy. His promises never fail. When He promises to never leave us or forsake us, He means it. We have to have our faith tested in order to grow it. We have to go through trials and desert places to become more and more like Jesus.
The same God who created the garden also created the wilderness. We must learn to lean on Jesus and to:
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” ~ Romans 12:12.
The same God who led the Israelites to their promised land will lead us to ours as well.
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, help us to always keep our focus on You and not our circumstances. Help us rely on You alone during life’s storms. You are the One who calms the wind and the waves—the One who calms the storms in our lives. When we rely on You and Your faithfulness, we get through the testing and receive the blessing. Lord, help us to wait patiently and trust You as we go through each and every day. Thank You for Your goodness, faithfulness, and grace in Jesus’ name, amen.”