Wilderness

Luke 4:14 AMP Jesus came out of the wilderness full of and under the power of the Holy Spirit.

Whether you have been a born-again Christ follower for one year or multiple decades, you will or have already experienced it. Some refer to it as a time of testing, loneliness, and struggles, or when God’s voice and presence may seem distant. But scripture most often refers to it as the wilderness.

Whenever we find ourselves in the wilderness, we often just want to get through it as quickly as possible. But what if we viewed our wilderness experience not as trials or punishment but as an opportunity to encounter God? An opportunity to trust God in new ways, to meet the Holy Spirit; to grow in wisdom and understanding, and to have a life empowered with the Holy Spirit. What if we saw these wilderness experiences as a launching pad for our next step of life and ministry?

That is exactly how Jesus received it. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and came out filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit. Up to this point in his life, we have no record of the miraculous: no healings, no one raised from the dead, no crowds fed, or the demon-possessed set free. It is safe to say that without the wilderness, there would have been no proclaiming good news to the poor, no release to the captives, no recovery of sight to the blind, or healing for the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Elijah was sent by God into the wilderness, where he was fed by ravens; emerging to see the widow’s flour and oil never run out, to bring the widow’s son back to life, and defeat the false god Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 17-8). David spent years in the wilderness trying to escape an angry and jealous King Saul (1 Samuel 23:14), having his faith and trust in God continuously tested. He came out of that time to reign as King of Israel for more than 40 years. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness (Acts 7:30) before encountering God at the burning bush and returning to Egypt to lead the Israelites to freedom. John the Baptist proclaimed the coming Messiah from the wilderness (Matthew 3:1). God promises to meet us in the wilderness times of life.

During times of wilderness, God provides comfort, peace, and rest. He is near, hears our prayers, carries our burdens, and refines and molds us into the person He desires. The wilderness is God’s place of transformation, Isaiah 43:19 TPT states, “I am doing something brand new, something unheard of. Even now it sprouts and grows and matures. Don’t you perceive it? I will make a pathway in the wilderness and open up flowing streams in the desert.” It is a place of creation, where God does what only he can do and brings into existence the new.

The wilderness is where we meet the Holy Spirit in new and amazing ways. As the prophet Isaiah spoke about the coming Messiah, the verse begins with “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Jesus told us, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) because he also knew “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing” (John 5:19). This is why Jesus instructed his followers to “wait for the filling of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5).

In His faithfulness, God promises to always be with us in the wilderness, providing all that we need. Hosea 13:5 NLT: “I took care of you in the wilderness, in that dry and thirsty land.” If you find yourself in a wilderness, trust that God will see you through and bring you out, transformed into His image.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To subscribe: Go to livingoaksministry.com                                   Copyright 2025 Living Oaks Ministry

Gary and Sandy Anthony

Psalms 65:11-12 NLT You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy.

Deuteronomy 2:7 NLT The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

Psalms 136:16 NIV To him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever.

Psalms 68:7 TPT O Lord, it was you who marched in front of your people, leading them through the wilderness.

Matthew 4:1 NIV Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Psalms 78:52-53 NIV But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness. He guided them safely, so they were unafraid.

Isaiah 35:1-4 TPT The wilderness and dry land will be joyously glad! The desert will blossom like a rose and rejoice! Every dry and barren place will burst forth with abundant blossoms, dancing and spinning with delight! My people will see the awesome glory of Yahweh , the beautiful grandeur of our God. Strengthen those who are discouraged. Energize those who feel defeated. Say to the anxious and fearful, Be strong and never afraid. Look, here comes your God! He is breaking through to give you victory! He comes to avenge your enemies. With divine retribution, he comes to save you!

1 Peter 1:6-9 TPT In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Isaiah 40:1-5 TPT Your God says to you: Comfort, comfort my people with gentle, compassionate words. Speak tenderly from the heart to revive those in Jerusalem and proclaim that their warfare is over. Her debt of sin is paid for, and she will not be treated as guilty. Prophesy to her that she has received from the hand of Yahweh twice as many blessings as all her sins. A thunderous voice cries out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord’s arrival! Make a highway straight through the desert for our God! Every valley will be raised up, every mountain brought low. The rugged terrain will become level ground and the rough places a plain. Then the Lord’s radiant glory will be unveiled, and all humanity will experience it together. Believe it, for the Lord has spoken his decree!

Matthew 3:1-2 NLT In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Leviticus 26:6 NLT I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land.

Lamentations 3:25-26 NIV The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.