We call those difficult moments that arise in our Christian life deserts. Situations that challenge our faith, that break us and in which most of the time we feel alone. Those deserts make us believe that God has abandoned us or that they are attacks by the enemy. And sometimes, the enemy is behind those deserts, but other times, believe it or not, God allows you to go through them for a purpose.
If you think that I am wrong or how come I dare to believe that God, in His infinite mercy, will pass us through problems and tribulations, continue reading. God is love; He is merciful and full of forgiveness. But the bible says that God is our father. As parents, we seek the best for our children. How many times as a parent, your child is obstinate in doing something that you know well is not going to benefit them, but he decides not to listen to you, and you allow him to be wrong so that he learns a lesson for himself? You do not allow that to harm your child but for your child to mature and, in the future, learn to make better decisions.
We all have to go through difficult situations to mature in all areas— in the professional field, personal or spiritual life. Life is full of lessons that shape our character. Today you are not the person you were ten years ago; you have learned, you have fallen, you have risen, and you have matured.
Right after Jesus' baptism, Matthew 4: 1 says the following: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Yes, you read correctly; the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted. Believe me, when I read this, it blew my mind. I also blamed the devil for all my deserts, but this verse made me see those moments of difficulty from another perspective. Perhaps this desert has nothing demonic, and it is God allowing me to go through the test to prepare me for something that, maybe, is coming in the future. The devil tempted Jesus for 40 days and failed to make him fall. Jesus, in his carnality, passed the test in his desert.
It is my very personal opinion that this desert prepared Jesus for the temptation he would have just before his arrest in Gethsemane. Jesus was extremely restless and worried about what was going to happen soon. Jesus says in the first part of the verse found in Matthew 26:39: Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.… Jesus was tempted to abort God's plan for humanity. But Jesus had already been through temptation before, so he ends the verse saying: yet not as I will, but as you will. What a lesson we learned from Jesus in this verse! In his desert, Jesus also felt alone; Jesus also felt fear, despair. But he understood that once again he was being tempted in this new desert and he resisted. Once again, he passed the test, and He won.
Not all deserts are bad. Not every desert comes to cause pain. Some of them bring lessons, maturity. And others come to prepare you for what is to come. Do not doubt for a second that God is with you in times of trial. Sometimes we think that God has abandoned us because he is silent. The teacher is always quiet during an exam. He wants you to focus on the situation before you. Don't look at your desert with negativity. Find what lesson you will learn from this desert. What preparation will you receive for the future. God is never wrong. Every situation we went through was already predestined. Tomorrow you will realize how vital that desert was for you, your spiritual development, and your purpose.
Blessing!
