Your personal wilderness

In Matthew 3 we read of Jesus coming out of the water as he is being baptized by John the Baptist and a voice from heaven saying, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy." What a great "highlight" in the life of Jesus to hear the Father say that he is pleased with his son. So now what? He's going to cast him right out into ministry right? Wrong. The Father sends his son Jesus straight into the wilderness. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil." For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry." (Matthew 4:1-2)Here Jesus found himself out in a dry barren place without food, without water, without human communication, there with the devil being tempted. Here Jesus found himself in another "training ground". He was being molded, trained, and equipped one last time before being sent out into the world he came to save.After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness the Bible says that the devil left him until the next opportunity came. What's awesome is what I read in the next verse of Luke 4:14. "Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the HOly Spirit's power." Jesus had been in his own personal wilderness for forty days but then left in the Holy Spirit's power!Jesus' earthly ministry then began. What was it that God was working in him during those forty days? Brokeness? Trust? Soul searching?

Take John the Baptist for instance. In Luke 1:80 it says, "John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel" Was this "wilderness" that God had Jesus and John the Baptist stay in a place to prepare them for the work he had called them to do? Was it a place where they could hear from God before they went out to speak to the people? So many times we want to avoid the wilderness (these types) when the HOly Spirit placed these people in the wilderness!

Look at the story of David found in I. Samuel 16. The Lord was about to replace Saul when he told the prophet Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to anoint God's new man. Jesse brought out all of his sons (except David) for the man of God to look over. Although Samuel thought surely one of the Lord's anointed stood before him (because he was judging outwardly) he wasn't. When Samuel asked if he had anymore sons Jesse told him there was the youngest out tending the sheep. Wow! His on father didnt see the potential that was in his own boy! When David came the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him". Man, how could this young boy grow up to be a "giant killer" and "King"? You see David had already been in his own personal wilderness where God was training and preparing him when no one else was watching. In I. Samuel 17 David approached Saul about fighting Goliath and Saul responds with, "Don't be ridiculous!" "There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth." What David says next amazes me. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!" God had already prepared this young boy to take out this Goliath. He had done so when David was in his own personal wilderness. David also wrote some wonderful Psalms when he was in his own wilderness as well. Laying with his sheep all alone at night in the fields he must have learned to hear from God and to worship him. Being chased from cave to cave David must have learned brokeness and humility. God was training this man not with human methods but by his own plan.

I can remember the years of my own personal experience. Knowing that God had a call on my life and trying to follow the very non-traditional path he was taking me own was hard. But it was during those years I walked through my own personal wilderness where I learned to pray, fast, and seek the Lord. During these times he was breaking me so that he could truly use me one day. It was during these times where I had to learn to hear his voice. It was during these times where he was training me for future purposes. Then it was very hard but now I look back and thank God for them. I know there will be more personal wilderness' in the future because I know he still has greater things in store.

Are you in a season in life where you find yourself in your own personal wilderness? I'm not talking about a wilderness that comes from bad choices, rebellion, or stuborness.I'm talking about one in which the Holy Spirit has led you in. Take heart! God wants to mold you, train you, and prepare you for things ahead. Submit yourself to his work and allow him to mold you!