I bet you thought wilderness training was meant for the toughest and most seasoned outdoorsmen among us. Am I right? That dude on , “Man vs. Wild” can have it, but I’ll take a nice hotel, a massage and a pina colada.
But what if I told you that wilderness training was not only common in the Christian life but also mandatory? Seriously, the more I study scripture the clearer it becomes that absolutely no one appears to have amounted to much in God’s kingdom apart form a stint in the wilderness—destination dessert—or at least a spiritual foray into the forest to see what you’re made of. And if it turns out that you’re not made of much then your time in the wilderness may have to be extended.
Most know that Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness after killing an Egyptian and fleeing for fear of what Pharoah might do to him.
A lot of folks know that Jesus kicked it all off with 40 days of temptation in the wilderness.
Even whole people groups were subject to a time of wilderness training. How about the entire Israelite nation wandering in the dessert for 40 years?
Nope, if you’re a Christ follower and you haven’t had any wilderness training yet—better go get some supplies. You’ll need’em out there!