To Live is Christ — even in the wilderness

God has a habit of luring His people into the wilderness. He did it when He delivered them from slavery in Egypt. They were glad to get out, but when they discovered they needed to obey the Lord as they once obeyed their Egyptian taskmasters, they became rebellious. They wound up wandering in the wilderness forty years.

Later, the people again became rebellious and were chastened by God. This time He also gave them a promise, but the blessings He offered also would come through a wilderness experience.

Israel, I, the Lord, will lure you into the wilderness and speak gently to you. I will return your vineyards, and then Trouble Valley will become Hopeful Valley. You will say “Yes” to me as you did in your youth, when leaving Egypt. I promise that from that day on, you will call me your husband instead of your master. I will no longer even let you mention the names of those pagan gods that you called “Master.” And I will agree to let you live in peace—you will no longer be attacked by wild animals and birds or by weapons of war. I will accept you as my wife forever, and instead of a bride price I will give you justice, fairness, love, kindness, and faithfulness. Then you will truly know who I am. I will command the sky to send rain on the earth, and it will produce grain, grapes, and olives in Jezreel Valley. I will scatter the seeds and show mercy to Lo-Ruhamah. I will say to Lo-Ammi, “You are my people,” and they will answer, “You are our God.” (Hosea 2:14–23, CEV)

Still later, Christ came to seek and to save those who are lost in sin. This time, the wilderness experience God set up was not for sinners, but for His very own Son. Matthew 4:1 says, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

Most Christians that I’ve talked to experience some sort of wilderness test. I’ve had a few too. In them, God seemed to pull away everything else that was important to me, and plunked me into helplessness. He wanted to bless me, but in the beginning and during every test, it seemed the opposite. Nothing feels so hopeless as to have all the props pulled away.

Yet I learned through all of them that God’s intention was to try me and make me stronger, not try me so that I fell apart. He is always with me and always brings me through. I need to rely on Him.

Right now, I am in a literal wilderness, that is if a well-equipped resort in the middle of nowhere qualifies as that. We have more than the necessities, but are miles from normal life. This experience does offer some tests. One small one is that I cannot connect to the Internet easily as is my custom. Just posting this blog is a challenge and at first I became agitated. There are other small things too, and none of them seem a big deal, but God has shown me all sorts of ways where I am relying on things other than Him.

When Jesus was tested, the devil offered Him gigantic temptations. My tests are not close to that scope. Nonetheless, Satan constantly tries to make me do things his way instead of God’s way. He even whispers, “You are on vacation so it doesn’t matter if you slip a little.”

I know better. Following Jesus means imitating what He did when led into the wilderness. He paid attention to the enemy’s suggestions, but said no by answering each one of them with Scripture. He knew the will of God and never altered His determination to obey His heavenly Father.

I know the will of God too. I’m to love Him and do what He says. This isn’t about slacking off because no one is looking. It is about passing the wilderness tests, no matter what size they are.