By Sherita Jones | The Anointing Grace
The wilderness. For many, the word conjures fear, loneliness, hunger, and testing. But in Scripture, the wilderness is rarely random. It is purposeful, intentional, and transformative. And it raises a question, a thought: does God speak the loudest in the wilderness, or is it just a place of trial and pain?
Interestingly, the Bible gives us only one clear example of someone being led into the wilderness in connection with temptation, Jesus. Matthew 4:1 tells us, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” The key truth here is that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit, not the adversary. Satan met Him there to tempt, accuse, and test, but he did not author the wilderness. The wilderness itself was divinely ordained. Biblically, no one is ever described as being led into the wilderness by Satan. God and His Spirit leads, and the enemy only exploits what God allows.
When we look across Scripture, the pattern is clear: the wilderness is never random. Every wilderness season carries purpose. Israel, led out of Egypt, wandered the desert under God’s guidance. There, they learned dependence, received the Law, and experienced His provision and presence in the cloud and fire. Moses fled to Midian, and God met him in the wilderness, preparing him to lead the Israelites. Elijah, worn down by fear and opposition, was led to Mount Horeb to encounter God in the still small voice. David was driven into the wilderness by Saul but sustained and formed by God for kingship. John the Baptist lived in the wilderness to prepare for his ministry, and Jesus Himself emerged from the wilderness strengthened for the work ahead. In each of these cases, the enemy may have attempted to tempt, accuse, or distract, but he did not lead them there, God did, and He remained sovereign throughout.
So why does God lead us into the wilderness? The wilderness is a place of stripping, where comfort, pride, and false identities fall away. It is a place of encounter, where God can speak in ways that would be drowned out in the noise of everyday life, the burning bush, the manna, the still small voice, the angels ministering to Jesus. It is a place of testing identity: “If You are the Son of God…” or “You are My son…” The wilderness is ultimately a place of preparation, where God forms purpose, calling, and destiny. If you find yourself in the wilderness, it is not punishment, and it is not random. It is not the enemy’s territory. It is a divine classroom where God is at work to heal, refine, and transform.
And yet, even when God is present, we often murmur. The wilderness can feel overwhelming. The Israelites murmured in the desert despite seeing miracles, water from the rock, manna from heaven, and the cloud by day and fire by night. Moses hesitated at the burning bush. Elijah despaired on Mount Horeb. David wept in the caves of Judah. Murmuring comes from fear, unmet expectations, weariness, or forgetting what God has done. We ask, “Why have You brought me here?” or “Will this ever end?”
Sometimes in the wilderness the pain is heavy, like a weight pressing down on you, but that very pressure puts you in the perfect posture for prayer and heavenly connection. The wilderness is a blessing, proof that you have purpose. Take advantage of it. Every lesson learned there is a blessing. Let your posture be surrender; lean in closer to God and know Him as your Father, not just your Lord. There is a difference. Listening in the wilderness does not mean the absence of tears, it’s the surrender within them. Surrender your pain and frustration while asking, Listening happens when desperation turns into dependence, silence becomes space for God’s voice, and pain becomes prayer. It is a posture of faith that trusts God’s process instead of railing against it. It is recognizing that the enemy may tempt, but he does not write the story, God is the Author. When He brings us out of the wilderness, we should be exiting full of power, just as Jesus did.
Your wilderness does not make you unloved or abandoned. Before Jesus ever stepped into the desert, the Father had already said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus did not enter the wilderness to earn love, He entered already affirmed. In fact, no one is led into the wilderness that’s not already chosen and loved. The enemy’s temptation never changes what God has confirmed. The wilderness is simply the place God will use to refine and confirm that reality in your heart.
So here is the question:
In your wilderness, are you murmuring out of pain, frustration, or fear?
Or are you leaning in to listen out of surrender, and trusting His presence?
Both responses are human, but only one leads to the promised land.
The wilderness may feel lonely, dry, and harsh, but it is also the place where God speaks most clearly, forms character, restores, forges, and prepares you to walk in the fullness of His power, and purpose for His kingdom.
