I never imagined I’d spend a day in the wilderness with Jesus. The sun was hot, and in front of me stood a huge mountain. As the sun rose, golden rays streamed ahead, but then I realized it wasn’t just sunlight, it was the light of Jesus. He wasn’t glowing, but He took on a form gentle enough for someone like me to be near. The wind kicked up dust around our feet as we walked. I had many questions in my mind, but I couldn’t figure them out. One of them was, why was Jesus here in the wilderness, where it was so hot and not even a drop of water could be found?
The Lord knows one’s heart, and Jesus looked at me and said, “The wilderness is not just a place where one experiences hardship or pain, it also teaches patience and helps us listen to the Lord.” Well, this answer only increased my curiosity. Why would anyone come to the desert or wilderness to listen to the voice of the Lord and learn patience? Couldn’t they enjoy luxuries and comforts and listen to God at the same time?
Jesus looked at me again and said, “When everything is taken away from you, your heart opens. It is in the hardest places that our faith grows stronger.” This really made sense to me. Many times, people fail to listen to the voice of the Lord when they have everything. An example is Nebuchadnezzar. He boasted about his riches, but the Lord humbles the proud. Nebuchadnezzar acted like an animal in the forest, eating grass, and in the end, he began praising God, and the Lord raised him high.
That day, I realized our faith grows strongest during the hardest times. As the sun dawned, Jesus disappeared into the sky, leaving me with a heart full of hope and a new understanding of what it means to trust God.
Creative writing by Aksa Joby
