Hello dear friends, the focus of our writeups this season is – NAVIGATING THE WILDERNESS SEASON. You may be asking yourself what the wilderness season is. Please just read on…
A wilderness is a desert or other area of natural land which is not used by people (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers). The wilderness is not an area where human beings can naturally comfortably thrive in. The wilderness in this write-up is symbolic of the difficult moments of life. The moments when it seems impossible to thrive due to trying circumstances we find ourselves in. It’s usually not a place where anyone will like to be. In the Christian journey, the wilderness season is very symbolic. It’s that period of heightened trials and temptation however, it is essential for our growth and fortification to carry out the tasks ahead of us (James 1:12). Jesus had a great ministry ahead but he was led into the wilderness where he experienced and endured hardship before he embarked on his ministry (Luke 4).
Luke 4:1-2… “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became hungry…”
The wilderness season, especially in the Christian journey may be so difficult notwithstanding, it is a necessary period of refining when approached with faith in God and understanding that God’s Grace, made manifest through Jesus Christ is sufficient to take us through every and any circumstance we have in life (Romans 12:8-10). We also bear in mind that God’s plans for us are good and give us a future hope (Jeremiah 29:11) and God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:24).
Let’s Pause and read through this testimony…
Between 2016 and 2019, I went through some tough situations. In the second half of 2016, I got uncomfortable with a pain in my leg. The pain increased rapidly and spread through my both legs. I moved from hospital to hospital doing medical test which were all negative meaning I was very healthy. Different doctors gave me different medications, I had to stop intake of some foods, drink lots of water, engage in sports etc. Notwithstanding, no improvements. I became so depressed but I kept praying that God should heal me. I am a Christian and at this point in life, I learned a lot about faith in God. On one faithful morning I cried the whole morning while praying to God to take this torn away from me. That morning Romans 3:4 was laid in my heart. As I opened my bible it read “Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (NIV). I don’t think I really understood the words of this verse as I went to work the day still so weary. The leg pain persisted for over a month but one faithful day, I got up to no pain! I was so happy for God miraculously healed me. During this season, I was led to read the biblical book of James. As I opened James, it spoke about enduring in trials which enhances our growth and faith in God. Not long from then, I loosed my job and job searched for so long but never got a job. The difficult moments persisted. Some days I cried and felt like giving up. I went to church one blessed evening and a brother moved up to me and said the Holy Spirit had laid a message in his heart for me which was that I should not give up because the season of pain will prepare me for the assignment that lies ahead. I was so amazed but this encouraged me to put my faith in God and I kept on reading his word, praying and trusting God. That season was still difficult but I noticed my approach to the season had changed as I drew closer to God. Fellowshipping with the Spirit of God and making efforts to practice what I was learning from the word of God was helping in refining my character. From the place of a relationship with God, I began to have a clearer perception of my life’s purpose. It’s a few years down the line, and I really understand that even the seasons of hardship have a purpose if well approached. Despite all the questions I had in mind, I learned that difficult moments in life are inevitable and I learned approaching the difficult moments or wilderness season with Faith in God is what makes the difference.
Navigating the Wilderness Season through Faith in God.
Faith is “The reality we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NLT).
Faith is defined as trust or confidence in something of someone. The person or thing you have faith in is what makes you secure in every circumstance. For instance, when I carry children of about one year old, I usually play with them by throwing them upwards in the air and catching them as they fall back. This is risky sometimes because I am afraid the child may fall. Rather, whenever the children are thrown in the air they usually are so happy and laugh all through. This is because I think children have faith that the elderly person throwing them in the air will surely catch them before they fall on the ground. This act of throwing in the air may look risky to people around but the child concerned keeps smiling because she/he has confidence that being in the air may look risky but the one they trust (the person who left them in the air) will not leave them there. This is very similar to what Faith in God does to believers in the wilderness.
Where your faith is determines your position in the wilderness and its outcome. Faith in God is fundamental in navigating the wilderness season. This entails trusting God even during moments of heightened pain and trials like Apostle Paul. Paul said he was given a thorn in his flesh to torment him and he begged the Lord to take it away but God said “My grace is all you need.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a, NLT). Jesus Christ assures us with these words in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” With this understanding, Paul went through his days of torment with hope because of his Faith in God and the work of Christ (Grace) in him.
The wilderness is not friendly and It may be really hard to live in such conditions. During such times it is only human to worry, fear etc. Notwithstanding, remaining in such mindsets like weariness and fear can only help to destroy you. For instance you can get depressed, which can cause health problems and some people can even go to the extent of suicide etc. WHY THIS? The answer is usually because in the heart of the wilderness, all hope seems to be lost especially with the uncertainty of the way out. Nevertheless, when we believe in God’s word that Christ is OUR HOPE OF GLORY, then surely even in the wilderness we can hold on to that hope which NEVER fails. No wonder Jesus Christ was tempted most while in the Wilderness. Probably the tempter knew how hard the wilderness is, so anyone in such situations may obviously settle for any option out of it, some of which may look attractive but can sway you away from living up to your purpose or even destroy you. No wonder, the tempter asked Jesus Christ to worship him while in the wilderness and he will give Jesus Christ kingdoms and authority over them which was a counterfeit way out of the wilderness. Jesus in this situation had faith and hope in God while in the wilderness. So his reply to the devil was “You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him”. Jesus Christ’s faith and hope in the wilderness was in God and the outcome was victory in fulfilling His purpose on earth.
You may be presently going through a wilderness season in life (difficulty, pain etc), but I believe God’s Grace is sufficient to help us overcome our challenges and we know suffering may last for a moment but Joy comes in the morning.