"Yahweh will always guide you where to go and what to do. He will fill you with refreshment even when you are in a dry, difficult place. He will continually restore strength to you, so you will flourish like a well-watered garden and like an ever-flowing, trustworthy spring of blessing." ~Isaiah 58:11 TPT
I never pinned the "wilderness of life" as a dream destination on my imaginary travel board.
Still, the wilderness found me.
When it did, fear, loneliness, and discouragement came as unwelcome visitors. Difficult circumstances attempted to distort my ability to see and think clearly. I yearned for the day of my exodus. Can you relate?
Baker's Encyclopedia of the Bible defines wilderness as a wild landscape, unfit for human and plant life.
This description doesn't sound like a preferred vacation spot. Even if you’ve never visited a desert, you wouldn’t expect to find peace and comfort in such a place. Instead, you would expect to find hardship and loneliness.
Did you know this uninhabited region is the exact location Jesus repeatedly chose as His sanctuary.
Luke 5:16 reads, "Yet he frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray."
"Yet he frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray." ~Luke 5:16
In other words, Jesus chose to spend quality time with His Heavenly Father in a parched desert or dense forest.
I’ll be honest. I never desired to exchange my prayer closet for Jesus’s, but my attitude toward wilderness wanderings changed after being led to my own personal wasteland.
Today, I invite you to put on the Son’s glasses to see wilderness seasons of life through fresh eyes.
"Contrary to my belief system, Jesus experienced the wilderness as a place to encounter divine fullness instead of human emptiness.
He encountered renewal in a place where we expected depletion.
In this isolated setting, Jesus found peace through a relationship with God, not people. He found a divine sanctuary amidst challenging physical circumstances.
Mark 1:12 tells us that directly following Jesus's water baptism, the Holy Spirit compelled Him to spend forty days in an uninhabited desert region.
"Immediately after this he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to go into an uninhabited desert region." ~Mark 1:12
The Holy Spirit knew the God in Heaven contained the sustaining wisdom and power Jesus needed for ministry on earth.
Jesus's encounter with God for those forty days positioned His heart to receive from His Heavenly Father before He received from others and poured out to others.
Jesus saw God's breath of life produce fertility where barrenness had settled. He witnessed God’s power over nature calm the wild animals around Him. He felt His loving Father hold Him safe in precarious situations.
In my wilderness moments, I easily forget the world’s gifts cannot satisfy my heart and soul. I quickly face the temptation of looking to people or earthly comforts to rescue me from stressful situations.
Jesus’s example helped me focus during crippling circumstances.
God is the One who produces growth and beauty inside of us.
As we seek Him, He is fully capable of bringing the physical and human resources we need to flourish spiritually and physically. He helps us mature in our relationship with Him and others. He brings blessing and abundance because He is the source of all good.
James 1:17 reads, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
During my journey, I discovered when I pursued the “right” person to rescue me, my heart encountered more pain than restoration. When God brought someone into my path, my heart experienced refreshment and renewal.
Isaiah 58:11 in the Passion Translation says, "Yahweh will always guide you where to go and what to do. He will fill you with refreshment even when you are in a dry, difficult place. He will continually restore strength to you, so you will flourish like a well-watered garden and like an ever-flowing, trustworthy spring of blessing. "
Embracing an unfit place for human habitation ushers us into an environment of deeper divine possession.
As we spend time with our Heavenly Father alone, the Holy Spirit shifts our perspective to focus on spiritual realities instead of earthly casualties. He builds a firm foundation in our souls over time.
Then, when the hurricanes of life come to sweep us away, we stand firm instead of floundering. We rest on our Heavenly Father's shoulders.
Wilderness seasons come whether we’re ready to embrace them or not. When they do, our heart response matters.
Today, I pray you open the doors of your heart to your Heavenly Father and embrace the heat of His love.
God is with you in the worst and best circumstances. He'll never leave you alone. Whether you have chosen to be where you are or have found yourself there, God hasn’t abandoned you. You can find hidden treasure buried in the sand of disappointment.
I challenge you today to ask yourself these questions:
"What would happen if I frequently withdrew from everyone and everything to speak to God and listen to Him speak to me?
What if I, like Jesus, chose to embrace wilderness seasons, believing these experiences are the doorway to hope and life?"
Affirmative Statement
The dry, deserted places of my life are not empty of God's presence.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Refresh my heart and satisfy my soul today. Open my eyes to see that you are the source of all good gifts. Pour your living water on me so I don't dry up in my wilderness season.
Amen
Song for Reflection
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