Lessons from the Wilderness

Deuteronomy 8:2 “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart.”

In this world, many people are there from who we have learnt many life lessons. There are some bitter incidents in our lives that we wish to forget. In the above passage, the Lord asks his children to remember him who led them in wilderness. The wilderness in biblical times referred to deserted, barren, or uncultivated land, dry, rocky, and with very little water or vegetation. We see the people of Israelites travelled in this wilderness which was quite challenging. The Lord allows the experience of wilderness in everyone's lives so that they are trained and get matured spiritually. In Exodus 16:1 we read 'And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.' We see the Israelites wandered in the wilderness of Sinai. These things are recorded in the Bible which are like an exmaple for all of us. We read this in 1 Corinthians 10:6 'Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.'

In the bible, we come across situations where the Lord has taken many people in the wilderness and trained them there. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of Judea which is recorded in Matthew 3:1 'In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea.' The wilderness was not just a place of struggle, but a place of training. God humbled Israel, tested their dependence, and revealed the condition of their hearts. The wilderness is a classroom of God where he humbles, teaches dependence, and reveals what is truly in our hearts. As a part of today's meditation, let us learn the lesson taught by the Lord in the wilderness.


The Place of Testing

Matt 4:1 'Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.'

Jesus was the first person to be tempted before anyone of us. In the above passage we read, the spirit itself brought Jesus into the hands of Satan to be tested. We see the people of Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness where God tested their faith and obedience. Similarly Jesus was tested in the wilderness for 40 days. The wilderness is a place where even the Son of God was tested. But all those tests were permitted by God's will. How did Lord Jesus overcame the temptation ? By the word of God. Satan tried to test him in many forms but the Lord fought him by using the word of God. Jesus overcame every temptation by declaring, “It is written."

The wilderness was not a punishment for Jesus it was a place of preparation and proving. Led by the Spirit, He faced temptation, yet remained victorious through the Word of God. Satan tempted Him, but Scripture sustained Him. When God allows a wilderness season, it is not to destroy us but to refine our faith. God’s Spirit leads, even into testing. Trials are not always from the enemy but sometimes God allows them for growth.

The Lord's ministry sucessfully began following his victory in the wilderness. After this, Jesus began His public ministry in power and authority. We read this in Matthew 4:17 'From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

The wilderness is the place of testing, but also the place of preparation for victory. The testing is not only for Jesus but also for,

• Abraham – God tested him by asking him to offer Isaac (Genesis 22).
• Israelites – God tested them in the wilderness for 40 years (Deuteronomy 8:2).
• Job – God allowed testing, but Job remained steadfast in his faith.

The place of testing is not meant to destroy us, but to reveal our faith, strengthen us, and prepare us for greater blessings. There is only way to save ourselves from the situation of testing, the word of God. Whatever path we are going, we should start confessing the word of God.


Place of Provision

Exodus 17:6 "I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink. So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel."

Wilderness is the place of provision of God. From all the impossible places, we will get help in the wilderness. In the above passage, we see there is a crisis situation where there is no water to drink. Here the Lord gives a specific commandment saying 'I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock..' Moses obeyed the word of God and struck the rock. Immediately the waters gushed out of the rock. We read in Exodus 16:4 God gave his people manna, quail, and water from the rock. All these experiences were given to the people in the wilderness and not in the promised land. Only in the wilderness we can know about the true character of a man and also we will understand the genuine nature of God.

We read in Genesis 22:14 "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." Even in dry places, God shows He is Jehovah Jireh our provider. Sometimes God takes us to the wilderness so we learn he is all we need. Wilderness is usually a place of dryness, emptiness, and need. Yet, God shows He is the source of life- giving water. Even in our lives, we will feel lonely and left out even though we have money and people. This is the wilderness. We might feel abandones but the Jehovah Jireh is already present with us. We read in Isaiah 41:17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them." When they are thirsty, the Lord of provision is there with them. In the place of provision, we need to obey the words and commandments of the Lord. Moses could have asked a lot of questions to the Lord but he struck the rock as God commanded. Moses could have felt all left out as people are whining all the time, but the Lord stood as a rock to fulfill all his needs. The rock was a symbol of Christ. We read in I Corinthians 10:4 "and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ."

We read in John 7:38 "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." When obey to the words of God and stay close to the rock, the living waters will flow from us. In the hardest situations of our life, God can bring a miracle flow. Our obedience opens the door, Christ is our Rock, the eternal source. We should start speaking to the rock about our needs and desires. We read in Isaiah 43:19 .. “I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Let us understand that Lord Jesus is travelling along with us.

The Place of Encounter with God

Exo 3:2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Moses met God in the burning bush in the wilderness. The Lord sees the revelation of his ministry in the life of Moses. This experience of bushes burning is something normal in the wilderness. But there is a difference in this situation. Moses keenly observes the bush on fire which was not consumed into ashes. The green bush is not turning into ashes. Moses witnessed the miracle. Wilderness is a place where it devouring fire but when the Lord is there near the bush no fire can burn it up. We read in I Kings 19:4-12 Elijah heard God’s gentle whisper in the wilderness. We also see in Hosea 2:14 'Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. He was alone, hidden, and forgotten by people, yet this was the place where God chose to meet him.' The Lord calls His people into the wilderness to “speak tenderly” to them.

We see Elijah was alone near the river. All these while he was surrounded by a lot of people, he used to speak boldly in the front of the Kings. He worked out many miracles in facing the king. But at one point of time, we was so heart broken and cries out to the Lord. Since the Lord was near the bush, it saved it from becoming into ashes. Same way when we have the Lord with us, our life which is meant to be destroyed will be made like a green pasture. The bush was on fire but was not consumed a symbol of God’s holy presence and His sustaining power. God called Moses by name: “Moses, Moses!. The close encounters with God are personal. Whenever we feel weak, broken, or set aside our God often meets us in these wilderness seasons. God knows your name, your struggles, your failures, and still calls you. The fire represents His holiness, His power, and His call. In our life of wilderness, we need to hear the voice of the Lord. We should ask the Lord to speak comfortably to us. The dry ground became a holy ground. Same way our Lord can change and transform our lives. Amen!!