Wilderness

Today our class of 45 or so got on a bus at 7:00 in the morning and went east of Jerusalem through a wilderness area to Jericho. Jericho is an oasis.

It may not look like much, but after going through the desert it looked gloriously green and beautiful.

Jericho, a wonderful oasis in the wilderness.




But, to get to the oasis you have to go through the wilderness.
It was in the wilderness that the people of God were tested and failed. They wandered for 40 years in the wilderness and then died.

It was in the wilderness where Moses first met with God.

David was a young shepherd in the wilderness.

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching repentance of sins and hope.

Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.

The Apostle Paul was in danger in the wilderness.

The desert is a place of testing. Those who were liberated from Egypt into the wilderness failed the test. They hated the wilderness. After today, I can see why.

But others were strengthened and prepared in the wilderness – John the Baptist, David, Abraham, Moses, Paul and Jesus, all spent time in the desert and were strengthened.

They got to their oasis, only after spending time in the desert.

It seems to me that the wilderness is necessary, even essential for the strengthening of our faith. Why then, do we fight it so? Why do we seek to avoid the wilderness? Why when we know from experience and the Scriptures that an oasis of character, faith, strength and maturity await us do we dread the desert and avoid the wilderness?

I know why I resist the wilderness - the desert is hard, hot, desolate, lonely, seemingly endless and dreadfully dry. I get tired in the desert. I get thirsty and cranky in the desert. I have been through a few of those deserts in my life. On this side of those deserts, after the experience of oasis, I am thankful for them. Surprisingly, some of the worst wilderness experiences in my life, I am the most thankful and grateful.

Today I was reminded of what Isaiah said about the hope we can have in deserts:
“This is what the Lord says…I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring.” Isaiah 44:2-3