Lessons From the WildernessSample

Testing Of Our Faith

Who we put our faith in and why we do matters. As believers in Jesus, we often forget why we even chose to put our faith in Him. So when troubling times hit us, we begin to wonder who to ask for help, who to turn to for counsel, and who to connect to. The sources of help we count on in these times tell us a lot about the quality of our faith. Jesus, in the gospels, tells his disciples to have faith as big (or small) as a mustard seed. This indicates that he valued quality over quantity.

The quality of our faith is tested amid a wilderness. We start to wonder if prayer works when our prayers go seemingly without effect. When a series of failures hit us, we doubt if God is on our side like he said he would be. When loneliness is a constant companion, we assume God left the building.

The vital component of this part of our testing is turning to God’s word and clinging to who he has said he was, he is, and will be. The psalmists repeatedly write of their confusion and despair, and then they bring the character of God into the picture. They extol his virtues of steadfast love, patience, kindness, might, and beauty, to name a few.

To Do:

Every day in your quiet time of reading God’s word, note down the qualities of God with the prefix “You are….” For example, You are all-powerful, You are wonderful, etc.

Once you make a note of it, spend a few minutes meditating on these attributes of God, and let it sink in and permeate even the dry parts of your life that the wilderness has touched. It’s sure to bring you hope and peace.