We hate the wilderness. It is an unproductive, dry, unyielding, and usually painful time in our lives. We want to go through a wilderness period as quickly as possible.  In most instances, wildernesses usually extend unnecessarily in part, due to our actions or behaviour and most times because God wants us there so that we can learn one or two things before we go to the next level in our lives.

Let us take the Children of Israel on their way to the Promised Land for example. A few days’ journey turned into 40 years. Yes, you heard me, 40 years of pain and suffering. Why the Lord would want people to take a long time travelling such a short distance, you may ask. The Lord needed that time to work on the children of Israel’s unbelief and rebelliousness. In my personal life, I have had some traumatic wilderness experiences, both as an individual and as a collective with my family. These experiences have left me emotionally and psychologically scarred. However, the lessons I take from these experiences are that they leave me vulnerable and less dependent on my human capabilities. Instead, I realize that I need Elohim the great and mighty God more every day.

To be honest, I never really understood the wilderness concept. Every time I went through adverse conditions, I automatically pulled out my arsenal of prayer points and went into spiritual warfare. Every time something negative happened, I was quick to fire warfare prayer points and fight tooth and nail against the enemy.   This was the only way I knew how, I did not know that sometimes challenges were sent my way to grow me from a baby who drinks milk to an adult who eats meat and bones solid food Hebrews 5:13. Can you imagine the children of Israel rebuking the devil in the desert because of the challenges they faced? Sometimes God takes us through some of these challenges/difficulties for our good so that we can grow, expand and become better people. Also, to fit into his plans and purposes.

For our benefit, I would like us to look at a young man in the Bible.  Joseph who we are all familiar with Genesis 37-50 was a favourite son. He had the gift of dreams. Something that did not put him in good standing with his brothers. From my perspective, I think the way Israel favoured Joseph somewhat displaced his elder sons. Gifting him the coat of many colours was probably a way of elevating Joseph to the position of being his heir.  Israel perpetuated the acrimony between his sons through his actions. Inheritances were serious business in the Middle East cultures as they still are in today’s modern society.  

Joseph was a spoilt brat, daddy’s favourite and was a tattle tell. He was bossy to his big brothers and arrogant knowing that he was a special child who had a bright future according to his dreams.  His brothers connive to kill him but one of them suggests that it is better to sell him to traders instead. Joseph is subsequently sold into slavery and here starts problems or rather his wilderness. (Kindly read the full story in the Bible) He goes from a favoured child to a slave. This must have been a very traumatic experience for young Joseph.  One day you are free to go about your business without any cause for worry, then the next you are a slave belonging to someone else. However, the Lord has Joseph in his favour. He soon rises to become a head slave in Potiphar’s house. But with this favour comes a whole new set of problems. Potiphar’s wife has her Jezebel eyes on the young man. When he turns down her advances, she accuses him of trying to violate her. Joseph is soon cast into prison for something he did not do.  His situation goes from bad to worse.

While in prison, he finds favour with the prison keeper, but that is cold comfort since it makes very little difference to his position. He is a slave who is in prison despite being in charge of the prisoners and running the prison affairs. At the end of the day, he is confined to a single location. He cannot drive down to the mall, read a book or have a cup of tea whenever he wants to.  Prisoners’ lives are strictly regimented. Where, how much and what time you eat, sleep, and whom you talk to are all decided by the overlords of the prison. What I am trying to say is that Joseph was restricted, he could only do a certain thing at certain times.

A chance to get out of prison presents itself when he interprets the kings’ prisoners’ dreams but two years pass before the chief butler remembers Joseph. He is in this wilderness for 13 years, a long time given the circumstances. Does he still have dreams of being a great man? Has God forsaken him? Does he think about his own family?

These 13 years shape and mould Joseph from being a spoilt and petulant young man to a man who is dependent fully on God. The painful years made him a man who could be trusted with a country and the affairs of the region. The arrogance and pride he held before soon vanished. When he is presented to Pharaoh after a hard and gruelling 13 years on the back side of the world we see a mature and wise young man who credits everything to God, Genesis 42:16.

What happens next seems to play out like a movie. Joseph sat next to Pharaoh as the second in command of the land of Egypt. These days Egypt is a superpower like China and the USA today. Can you stop to consider Joseph when he was younger in Canaan? His arrogance? The way he treated his brothers? Do you think that arrogant young man would have made a good ruler? That young man could have probably refused to help other nations that needed grain and food.

God saw it fit that Joseph should go through a metamorphosis. The young man who entered the house of Potiphar was different from the young man who stood before Pharaoh. Joseph had gone through dramatic changes. He was so changed from the proud and arrogant young man who was so full of himself to a well-rounded character who harboured no malice.  He gave all the glory to the All-mighty when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. He elevated the Lord God and put all his trust in the Lord.

Now let us fast forward to another young man. Years later in the time of Samuel the great Prophet we see yet another young man. In 1 Samuel 9 – we meet Saul, tall and shy who is sent to look for his father’s donkeys. Whilst searching for the donkeys his life changes when he is anointed King. Saul, to me, seems to be an idyllic young man. He is described as shy and when he is called up to take his place or his position of being King he is nowhere to be found instead he is found hiding. I imagine Saul as someone who had an easy life without any pressure compared to David or even some Kings in history. In fact, we are not told much about young Saul’s life before the donkey incident.

When he is made King, we see a different kind of man. Impatient, self-absorbed, jealous and desperate for attention. He eventually loses his kingdom and here we notice a stark difference between Joseph and Saul. One was coached on the barren grounds of a foreign land going through adversity, slavery and imprisonment until he was transformed. The other (Saul) had one leg in and one leg out. We never hear of any challenges Saul faced. We never hear of what he faced in his life apart from the problems he created for himself through his bad decisions and bad choices. 

Please dear reader, do not misconstrue what I am saying, some people are lucky or rather blessed they go through life free of challenges like our dear King Saul of old. Whilst some people attract challenges and persecutions like moths to a flame. From my end, I think Saul was immature. Look at the way he handled his affairs. When he was told to do something, he did the opposite. He was worried about what people said about him. Instead of worrying about what God would do? Do you remember when he decided to take on the priestly role and sacrificed instead of waiting for Samuel? We see Saul making one bad decision after another. From my perspective, I think Saul was a bad King who lacked clout. He suffered from a bad case of inferiority complex and imposter syndrome. Had he experienced a bit of the wilderness he would have never made some of the decisions he made he would have learnt to wait on God.

Are you currently going through a wilderness? Do you feel forgotten? Are your prayers hitting a ceiling and not getting to God? Are you stagnant? Is nothing happening in your neck of the world?  Let me implore you to listen to Apostle James “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2. Joseph was tested for 13 hard years where he suffered, he was mistreated and taken advantage of.  He thought he was forgotten and had resigned himself to a life in prison. At that moment God rose and showed up in all his glory. Joseph was elevated from being a lowly and dirty prisoner, he was washed, shaved and arraigned before a King and immediately given a position that was created specifically for him as there was no one in the land qualified for it other than himself. I cannot emphasize enough, precious people of God that it took Joseph 13 years in an unimaginable difficult situation we now call a wilderness to be whom Pharaoh decided to share his power with and elevate.

Count it all joy saints when you are going through perilous times, challenges, persecution etc. You are probably going through training, empowerment, pruning and grooming. “Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.”  Romans 5:3. Perseverance was something King Saul did not have. He could not wait one more day.  I pray for you to have the grace to endure the wilderness season or whatever you are facing at the moment. Count it all joy in the belief that God is training, pruning and cultivating you for one of His many grand plans.