Mark 1:12 - “At once the Spirit sent Him out into the wilderness.” The “wilderness” is never something we want - never the place we are longing to be. The “wilderness” is hard, barren, and lonely. It’s a place where we question God’s intentions and begin to doubt if we really know Him at all. It feels completely contrary to the Bible’s promises of God’s love and care and purpose for us. Then there’s the fact that Satan loves to show up there as we are hurting and vulnerable and spin his convincing sounding lies to us. And God seems at best distant, and at worst absent. Jesus knows how it feels in the wilderness. He knows the battles. He was there. He experienced all of it, including the attacks of Satan in person (verse 13). He understands. But I believe there is more. I have found that there is purpose in the wilderness. In my times spent there I have come face to face with what I truly believe about God, what I truly believe about His Word, and where I have actually placed my faith and hope for my life. The harsh wilderness has revealed these things to me, about me. And honestly, the picture has not been pretty. Where I thought I was strong, it turns out I was pretty weak. The wilderness showed me this. The same thing happened to the Israelites while they were in their wilderness. It revealed their hearts (Deuteronomy 8:2). The best news is that the One Who sees my brokenness is also the One Who can heal it. And He wants to. But if I don’t think there’s a problem I’ll never go to God with it. I’ll just continue believing that I’m okay, when in reality I’m not. The wilderness, in the hands of our Heavenly Father, has a way of showing us what is really true about us. So if you find yourself in the wilderness, let God do His work in your there. His heart towards you is tender and His goal is to help you face down Satan’s lies and to bring real healing to your heart, as well as to prepare you for what’s next. Your “wilderness” will come to an end. In the meantime, Jesus understands and He is with you there. He is your “wilderness” companion. And He is not going anywhere.