Sermon: Things You Learn While Wandering in the Wilderness
Scripture Lesson - Matthew 4:1-11 “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
Introduction: Even Jesus was tested in the wilderness. At a time when He was carrying his greatest anointing and completely understood, His purpose and calling, and even receive the witness of John the Baptist, Jesus was led into the wilderness. While "wandering in the wilderness" can imply different things, from actual outdoor excursions to periods of hardship or spiritual struggle, it offers lessons in humility, self-reliance, the importance of preparation and skill, and how to find strength in a challenging environment. In a physical wilderness, you learn practical skills like navigation and first aid, while in a spiritual or emotional wilderness, you often learn deep faith, dependence on God, and the ability to discern what is truly essential. Nobody enjoys wandering in the wilderness, yet we’ve all found ourselves there. Maybe you’re navigating a difficult relationship, wrestling with job loss, or carrying the burden of grief while wondering if life will ever feel “normal” again.
Here’s what you need to know: When God calls you into the wilderness, He wants to meet you there. In that meeting, He has profound lessons waiting to transform your heart and prepare you for what’s ahead.
First, In the wilderness you learn that When Your Resources Run Dry, God’s Never Will! The desert is merciless—hot, dry, and stripped of everything we need to survive. That’s precisely what makes it the perfect classroom for God to demonstrate this truth: when our resources run dry, His never do.
Consider the Israelites during their 40-year wilderness journey. Every morning, God rained down manna from heaven. Deuteronomy 8:2-3, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” But He made it impossible to hoard, the manna would spoil if they tried to save it, forcing them to depend on His fresh provision each day. No performance required—just simple, daily dependence on a faithful God.
When Elijah fled to the wilderness to escape King Ahab’s rage, God commanded ravens to bring him bread and meat twice daily. 1 Kings 17:2-6, reads, “Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”
Neither the Israelites nor Elijah worked for their food or exhausted themselves trying to manufacture miracles. They were tenderly cared for by a God who knows every need before we voice it. In the wilderness, our frantic striving is exposed as utterly powerless compared to God’s effortless provision. When we stop performing and start trusting, everything changes.
Secondly, In the wilderness God’s whisper becomes clearer than the World’s noise.
The wilderness is undeniably lonely. But when distractions are stripped away, something beautiful happens, you finally have space to look up. Without the world’s noise drowning out heaven’s voice, you hear what’s been there all along: your Creator whispering, “You are not alone.” Elijah discovered this in a cave on Mount Horeb. After running for his life, feeling abandoned and ready to die, God met him not in earthquake, wind, or fire, but in a gentle whisper. 1 Kings 19:11-18, “The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty.
The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” In that quiet moment, God gave Elijah comfort and clear direction.
Jesus understood the power of wilderness solitude. Despite the crowds constantly pressing around Him and demanding his attention, He regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray. Luke 5:16, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” He sought mountainsides and deserts where He could commune with the Father without interruption.
In the quiet emptiness of wilderness, God’s presence feels closer, His voice sounds clearer, and His love penetrates deeper than ever. If you’re feeling isolated today, recognize it as a divine invitation for intimacy with the One who never leaves you.
Thirdly, the wilderness maybe preparing you the completion of your purpose. It is another stage in God’s Boot Camp.
The wilderness isn’t just testing—it’s God’s training ground, designed to prepare His people for their calling. Moses spent 40 years in the desert before God called him to deliver His people. Moses entered the wilderness at 40 as a hothead who murdered an Egyptian. This is radically different from the Moses who emerged at 80, ready to stand before Pharaoh and calmly declare, “Let my people go”. Exodus 7:16, “Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.” Those desert years transformed him from someone relying on his own strength into a leader depending entirely on God’s power.
Jesus, too, entered the wilderness for preparation. For 40 days, He faced hunger, thirst, and Satan’s temptation. When He emerged from that spiritual boot camp, He was ready to launch His ministry with crystal-clear purpose.
The wilderness strips away everything non-essential and refines what remains. It burns off self-reliance, deepens faith, and aligns our hearts with God’s will. What feels like wasted time is actually sacred preparation. So, if you’re struggling in the wilderness today, take heart. This isn’t punishment, it’s preparation. Rely on God’s provision, draw close in isolation, and trust Him to shape you into who He’s called you to be. Your wilderness wandering has an expiration date, but the strength and intimacy with God you gain there will last a lifetime. The wilderness may feel like the end of your story, but it’s actually where your next chapter begins. Amen.
