The wilderness or desert, formed the backdrop for the prophets, the Psalms, and the Exodus. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness, and the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. The Spirit urges us to seek time alone with God. Our desert and wilderness can be a meaningless job, chronic illness, a crumbling relationship, or the loss of a loved one. Whatever wilderness we travel into, God is ever inviting us to depend on the love poured out in Jesus. In the midst of the desert, we might grumble and rebel. We might temporarily abandon the God who truly liberates us from our slavery, the God who loves us totally. God understands this rebellion and anger as our attempt to control our own destiny, to call all the shots. God trusts that once we have faced the desert, confronted the reality of our vulnerability, we will rush into the Divine embrace.

– Wayne Simsic