Of God and the Wilderness

Matthew 4:1 tells us that “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (NAS). Without having any choice in the matter – without any apparent objections – Jesus simply followed the Spirit into a place where the enemy of all human life would become an unwelcome companion. Throughout the Scriptures, “the wilderness” often refers to “a barren wasteland,” or “a place of wandering.” It is also a place of profound “dryness,” where very little water is found. It is, to say the least, a spiritual desert where one experiences prolonged periods when God feels absent. The wilderness can often refer to a dark time in the life of a believer – what some writers refer to as “the dark night of the soul” – where the way ahead seems uncertain and difficult.

In his book entitled Windows of the Soul, Ken Gire writes about the importance of the wilderness experience, for it is there “we learn that we do not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” When the enemy is in hot pursuit, and you don’t necessarily feel the presence of God – when things seem confusing, and whatever peace you once had seems lost – where do you turn? We turn to the word of God! The Word of God is what keeps us strong and steady when everything else around us seems dark and forbidding – when life itself seems to offer so little encouragement. At such times, the Word of God is meant to be “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105, NIV).

Jesus knew the importance of God’s Word when the devil came with his taunts. “Since you are God’s Son,” he said, “speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread” (Mt. 4:3, The Message). Hungry, tired, feeling weak and maybe a little disoriented, Jesus took “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17, NIV) and sliced through the intrusive thoughts of the enemy by saying, “It takes more than bread to say alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth” (Mt. 4:4, The Message).

Many years ago I was traveling with a few friends to a Scout Camp near Alliston, Ontario where we were scheduled to stay for the night. I well remember the experience of walking into the camp grounds and finding that it was so dark that we could see absolutely nothing. I mean, it was so dark that you could not see your hand if you waved it in front of your face. You could not see the sky above or the trees to your right and left. In fact, even though I knew my friends were right beside me, I couldn’t see them. I only heard their frightened voices saying, “Where are we?” It was scary, and it was hard to put one foot in front of the other because you just didn’t know what you might walk into. And yet, gradually, as we kept moving forward, we began to see a light in the distance.

As we moved out into an open field, the dim light from the stars above made the way ahead a little more bearable. In time we arrived at our destination in order to set up camp. But I will never forget that night. I will never forget the deep darkness and the feeling of uncertainty that went with it. And yet, I will also never forget the joy of knowing that at the end of every night there is always a new dawn – at the end of every wilderness experience there is always a new appreciation for the presence of God, and at the end of every “dark night of the soul,” there is always the prospect of being more fully centered in Christ.