Many times, God brings transformation in the wilderness in Scripture. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness as the Lord prepared him to lead Israel. He had no idea the Lord was teaching and preparing him for forty years as a simple shepherd. When the Israelites disobeyed the Lord after being freed from Egypt, they spent forty years in the desert as the Lord refined them.
A wilderness experience is often a time when people of God endure a time of discomfort or trial. The pleasant things of life you once may have enjoyed may be absent at this time. The wilderness can be a time of refinement caused by our sins, such as that of the Israelites. God knows this is necessary for our spiritual development.
John the Baptist Calls People to Repent in the Wilderness
Matthew 3:1 In those days, John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was 2 “Mat.[1] Why was it so important for John to proclaim the message of repentance in the wilderness of Judea and not in the Temple courts in Jerusalem?
In the wilderness of Judea, there were fewer distractions. The wilderness stripped away the clamor of their typical environment as people encountered John’s message of repentance. Something happens when we are in a different environment that allows the Lord to break through into our lives. A time away, a retreat, or a Bible camp are different environments where the Lord can reach us.
The Lord often uses the wilderness to prepare us for what He wants to do next in our lives. Have you experienced a time in the wilderness? If so, what did the Lord teach you through that experience, and how did that prepare you for the future?
Are You in the Wilderness?
The Lord is so committed to helping you fulfill His plan for your life that He will not let you take the next step until He knows you are ready. Even Jesus went through a time in the wilderness in preparation for His ministry. The wilderness is God’s way of preparing and educating, which is much different from the world’s.
As we pray and ask the Lord to help us grow in faith, a wilderness experience is often God’s tool. The Lord can use a variety of experiences as a wilderness because everyone’s life is different. Deuteronomy 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands.[2] Remember, God loves you and works in your life to help you be fruitful.
To hear how God brings transformation in the wilderness, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/john-prepares-the-way
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Mt 3:1–2). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Dt 8:2). Tyndale House Publishers.