What do we do when we find ourselves in the wilderness?  Let me define for you the word ‘wilderness’ before I proceed any further.  By ‘wilderness’, I am not talking about being in some kind of deserted place here.  Instead, I am referring to ‘spiritual wilderness’ – a dry season in a Christian’s life in which nothing seems to be going right.  It could even be a state in which everything – relationships, career, health, and so forth – falls apart.  Nothing seems to test a Christian’s faith more than a wilderness experience.

As a Christian, wilderness experiences are inevitable unless he/she is a lukewarm Christian who does not pose any threat to the kingdom of the devil. Having said this, I must add that I believe there are Christians who are blessed with a smooth-sailing life with no wilderness experience at all.  But nevertheless these Christians are in the rare minority.

A wilderness experience could be ordained by God to test a Christian’s faith.  It is also inevitable in God’s plan if He intends to use a Christian greatly in His kingdom.  The Bible is full of such examples.  Just take Moses for instance.  He had to spend forty years in the desert before God could use him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

To be honest, I hate to go through a wilderness experience.  To me, a wilderness experience is like being put ‘on hold’: nothing seems to be moving forward.  I cannot stand it, especially because I am someone who enjoys life in the fast pace and also because I am not a very patient person.   Just imagine yourself being put on hold when you make a phone call, or when you wait in queue at a post office and the staff seems to be taking forever to attend to a customer.  How does it feel like?

What should your response(s) be when you find yourself in the wilderness?  What kind of responses are pleasing to God? For me, my natural response is to complain about it. But I have learnt that complaining won’t help get me out of the wilderness.  Now, I am learning to praise God while I am in the midst of a wilderness experience.  I am learning the importance of not focusing my attention on the wilderness experience.  I am also learning to wait on God while in the midst of it.

For those of you who are experiencing wilderness in your lives right now, take heart.  Just fix your eyes on God and you can be sure that He will see you through it.

Copyright by Chan Hui Li Annie