A “wilderness experience” is usually a tough time in which a believer endures discomfort and trials. The pleasant things of life are unable to be enjoyed, or they may be absent altogether. A “wilderness experience” is often a time of intensified temptation and spiritual attack involving some spiritual, financial, physical, or emotional aspect of our lives. No believer can fully avoid the wilderness experience — it is the path we must all travel.

When we are undergoing a wilderness experience, the devil will come alongside us. His primary purpose is to tempt us to doubt God. As he did with Jesus in His wilderness experience, Satan will show us all kinds of things that will appear to be good, attractive and wonderful. Satan’s supreme goal is to get us to disobey God, to destroy our fellowship with God, and to steal our blessings from God. During the wilderness experience we will be tempted to give up and doubt the integrity of God’s Word. It’s a time when we become confused, frustrated, irritable, and angry. If we are to come out of the wilderness triumphantly, we must follow the example of how Jesus gained the victory over the devil.

How did Jesus defeat the enemy? He fully submitted to God and His will for His life, and He fully trusted and used the Word of God (Mt 4: 1-11).

The wilderness is an unpleasant place, fleshly speaking. We naturally want prosperity, health, and easy going. But the same God who created the garden also created the wilderness. There will be times of trial and pressure. Our faith will be tested. But the God of grace will meet us even in the wilderness.

In a “wilderness experience,” a believer may struggle simply to survive from day to day. He is forced to wait on the Lord, find God’s peace and joy during trouble, and through it all, mature in his walk with Christ. Paul offers this encouragement: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9) The reason for these trials, Paul says, is “to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (verse 7).

One very helpful thing when you find yourself in the desert is to know that God is in the desert with us. He has not abandoned us. The psalmist David recorded his wilderness experiences in the Book of Psalms. Ultimately, David never forgets who his God is, and he never forgets from where his strength comes (Psalm 40:1-3; 46:1-3). Three observations:

1. God always takes care of His people in the wilderness. God provided for the children of Israel for 40 years with water from a rock and bread from heaven and meat.                                      

2. The wilderness has but one goal: to sift us, refine us, and to draw us closer to Christ. If you are living in the wilderness today, rejoice in that fact, because God is doing a transforming work in your life. He is making you more like Jesus!                                                

3. The wilderness is often a preparation for God’s “new beginnings.” After their 40-year stay in the wilderness, Joshua led the people of God across the Jordan into the Promised Land. The apostle Paul began his apostolic ministry only after he spent considerable time in the Arabian wilderness. Are you ready for a new beginning?