Most days, along with reading my Bible, I will read through a different devotional on the Bible App. Last week, a devotional from John Bevere caught my eye called “God, Where Are You? I will post the link below in the email. Immediately, some things challenged my heart and caused me to pause. It began a week-long meditation on being in the wilderness. I know it’s not something you sign up for. I began to journal some thoughts that I wanted to share with you today.
First of all, some similarities can be found in the wilderness. A spiritual wilderness is often seen as a time of struggle, uncertainty, or feeling distant from one’s faith or spiritual center. While it can be a challenging experience, it also holds profound opportunities for growth and transformation.
*Isolation-from God, others, or even oneself.
*Dry season-feelings of being spiritually lost or wandering.
*Doubt-questions about purpose, belief, or direction in life.
*Silence-Prayers seem to go unanswered and it appears like He isn’t there or doesn’t see.
*Testing-Trials or challenges that test our faith and resolve.
As we examine the Bible, we see many people who entered the wilderness. Each for different reasons, but potentially the same lessons that could be learned.
*Moses and the Israelites-They learned about God’s provision and obedience.
*Elijah-He learned that God sustains and renews our strength during times of despair.
*David- It was a time of preparation and to trust God’s timing and to shape his character.
*Jesus-The desert was a place of temptation, which prepared Him for His ministry.
When it’s all said and done, after going through the wilderness, we all have the opportunity to realign our priorities and grow personally and spiritually. Learning a greater dependence on God, even when we don’t see him working. And on the other side of the wilderness is a new beginning. A place that the dry season prepared you for. While a spiritual wilderness can feel overwhelming, it is often described as a refining process, similar to how gold is purified in fire. It is a space where individuals can rediscover resilience, faith, and purpose, emerging stronger and more grounded.
Whether you are doing great, heading into or out of a wilderness, or know someone in the dry season now, the lessons learned are not wasted. We have a choice to not just go through a wilderness but to grow through it. I want to end with a question John asked in the devotional. Are you developing your spiritual strength or are you fighting in your strength?
