Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. Mark 1:12
Wilderness areas are often rough places to be in. This becomes even more true with desert locations. There is no help, no support, no water, no food, nothing but wild and barren land. While some may enjoy going into the wilderness to be alone, most do not. It is a picture of loneliness and isolation that is painful to walk through. Survival becomes very difficult. Making it through from day to day is always an uphill struggle for most.
Mark records that right after Jesus was baptized and God affirmed Him as His loved Son, the Holy Spirit pushed Him into the wilderness.
Every person has days or seasons in their life that is a great memory. Everything was going perfectly. Nothing appears to be bad on the current smooth road of life, then suddenly a change occurs, and all chaos breaks out. Suddenly it became as if anything could go wrong it did.
When times turn like that most people fall into depression. Many get angry with God and blame Him for allowing them to fall into such bad times. Some will even walk away from God out of their extreme anger and pain of the difficulties of life.
Believers have to make a choice when they are suddenly in a wilderness in life when the struggles and turmoil appear to be overwhelming and never-ending. They can choose to get angry with God, as the world does, or they can choose to walk the path God has led them on and trust His leading.
Those days in the wilderness can either break a person or build one up, as it did Jesus. Leaning on God and trusting Him for provision, when pushed into a wilderness, will allow God to move in one’s life and build one’s faith up.
As with most people, you have your days and seasons of life that are filled with ups and downs. Those down times are when God has pushed you into a wilderness as a test of your faith and faithfulness. Do not allow the hard times of the wilderness to break your trust in God. Rather, allow those times to build you up in your faith and faithfulness. See how God can prepare you for ministry in some form or another to reach this world for His kingdom and glory.
Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will not get angry with God when in a wilderness of life; that you will see God’s hand of provision and strength during your wilderness trek; and that you will allow the Holy Spirit to lead you wherever God wants you to go in life.
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Insights from Tom
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