Photo by Maxim Tajer on Unsplash

Journey through the wilderness this Lenten season with a new blog published every week by Patrick.

We ultimately come to a place of desperation and poverty in the wilderness. That very place is where we will meet God.

As we have been journeying through the wilderness over the last few weeks, I have highlighted some essentials—the need for community, rest and perseverance. 

But the wilderness, more than anything else, is a place of testing and trial. It’s where our pride is shattered and we are humbled. Our protective armour is taken off, and we are forced to confront ourselves as we are, not as we would like to be. In the wilderness, our control over people, places and things is stripped away from us, and we realize our absolute powerlessness.

This is Lent. But this is also our lives. There are so many times in our lives that we face these crises.

And without God, they are awful. As we are humbled and powerless, we come to a place of desperation. 

But with God, the wilderness is a place of opportunity. We come to realize our absolute desperation for God!

In Ancient Paths: Rediscovering Delight in the Word of God, Corey Russell writes, “Throughout the Bible we see that God chooses again and again to form His people in the wilderness. It is the furnace of transformation… In the wilderness, God strips us of our independence and rebellion and teaches us to depend on Him” (p. 132).

I know this to be true in my own life. The desert times in my life are not fun, and I would not choose them. But I do at times look back with gratitude for such formative experiences that have undoubtedly moulded and shaped me. God refines us and purifies us in our places of desperation.

He breaks down false idols and beliefs that we may be holding onto. He brings us more freedom, and this makes us more available to serve Him purely. And the wilderness brings us into deeper intimacy with a Father whose hand holds us through the toughest of times. 

We only need to reach out to receive His grace, mercy and help. It won’t necessarily make the wilderness experience any easier, but we can be confident that His presence is powerful.  

“Man’s desperation is God’s workshop,” after all!

Patrick is a beloved son of the Father who desires to use his gifts to build up the Kingdom of God. You can read more of his writing on his blog.