Finding God in the Wilderness

by Elaine Poproski

Many years ago I was privileged to join a tour group in Israel for a couple weeks. One of the most beautiful places we visited was the Dead Sea. When I first set my eyes on its sparkling, clean water I was a bit shocked. I’d expected something more swamp-like, more smelly and dark and gross. But in fact, the incredibly high salt content of the water keeps all living things at bay and thus keeps the water pure and perfect. Not only was I surprised by the water, I was surprised by the landscape. The Dead Sea is in the desert east of Jerusalem. I thought it would be brown and boring. I had no idea all the shades of brown in creation. There were mountains and hills and dots of green clinging to life. It was one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever seen. But I wouldn’t want to live there. I expect it would be a hard place to live. There’s a reason it’s called wilderness.

On Sunday we’re going to follow Jesus into the wilderness – figuratively, of course. The wilderness is both a literal and a metaphorical place that pops up all through Scripture (about 300 times in total). The Israelites spent 40 years wandering through the wilderness before finally crossing in the Promised Land. After Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal, he ran away into the wilderness to escape the wrath of Jezebel. Abraham’s first son, Ishmael, was cast out into the wilderness with his mother, Hagar. And the first place Jesus went after His baptism was the wilderness. It’s a place of refuge, a place of rest, a place of temptation and a place of death. It’s a place where the absence of God is felt profoundly, but it’s also a place where God’s miracles stand in brilliant contrast to the dangers that threaten.

I think one of the reasons the wilderness is such a powerful theme in Scripture is because it’s the last place one expects to find God, but God is there nonetheless. Some of us (most of us?) have experienced times of wilderness in our own lives. We’ve experienced the fear and vulnerability, the seeming absence of God, and the loneliness of the wilderness. Perhaps we have also experienced the surprise appearance of God in the midst of it as well. As you prepare for Sunday, spend some time reflecting on your own wilderness experiences. What made you afraid in those times? Where or how were you vulnerable? Were you aware of God in that place with you? And if you are in the wilderness right now, spend some time asking God to show Himself to you, to remind you that He is in it with you.