The Wilderness Experience: When God Teaches in Silence

The Wilderness Experience: Lessons from God’s Classroom on Destiny and Transformation

Every journey of destiny passes through a wilderness — a season of obscurity, deprivation, and deep refinement. That was the central theme at Thrive with Babs (Chapter 52), where participants explored what it truly means to walk through “the wilderness experience.”

The teaching, both sobering and illuminating, reminded listeners that this season of life is not a punishment but a process, one designed by God to break, mold, and prepare those He intends to elevate.

The Session in Focus

The conversation opened with a stirring reflection: “The wilderness is God’s classroom.”
In this classroom, there are no shortcuts, no cheating, and no skipping ahead. God uses this space to teach humility, patience, endurance, and trust. Just as students cannot progress without passing their tests, believers cannot advance to their next phase of destiny without passing through divine preparation.

Drawing from the story of the Israelites, Babs emphasized that the wilderness experience is universal, not age-bound, not status-specific, and rarely comfortable. It may visit a person more than once, as it did David, who endured multiple seasons of loneliness and trials before ascending to kingship.

Understanding the Wilderness Season

In vivid terms, the teaching described the wilderness as a time when:

• Breaking replaces boasting. Pride is crushed, and humility takes root.
• Unlearning precedes learning. God dismantles old patterns, teaching His people new principles for a new phase.
• Lack and limitation refine the soul. The Israelites had gold and silver but found them useless in the desert — proof that not every resource is relevant in every season.
• Survival overtakes luxury. In the wilderness, one is sustained, not indulged.

It is also a season of deep spiritual awareness. When everything else fades, people turn instinctively toward God. Yet, paradoxically, this is also when prayers often seem unanswered — not because God is absent, but because He is working beneath the surface.

Lessons in Formation

The wilderness is not merely an ordeal; it is a workshop of character formation.
Every misstep carries consequences, not out of cruelty but correction. As Babs noted, “virtually every mistake you make during the wilderness experience is punished because God is shaping your values.”

Here, people form their personal philosophies, develop value systems, and gain new perspectives on life. They begin to understand pain, patience, and purpose in deeper, more personal ways.

It’s also a time of paradox — a longing for “Egypt,” the comfort of the past, even if that past was enslaving. The Israelites looked back on slavery with nostalgia because the uncertainty of freedom felt unbearable. So too, many today yearn for old seasons simply because new ones demand growth.

Battles Within and Without

Every wilderness journey involves warfare — external and internal.
Externally, there are critics, challengers, and enemies. Internally, there are fears, doubts, and temptations. Moses faced rebellion from Korah and even resistance from his sister Miriam, while also battling frustration and fatigue within himself.

The lesson? Even those chosen by God are not immune to weakness. “You will not always be in your best behaviour,” Babs cautioned, citing Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it. “There’s nobody absolutely righteous; we are all human, learning to trust amid trials.”

When Faith Meets Silence

Faith, patience, and endurance are repeatedly tested in the wilderness.
Recognition is scarce, encouragement is minimal, and achievements go unnoticed. It’s a period of obscurity — not because one is irrelevant, but because God is building foundations that only He can see.

Discouragement abounds, often outweighing encouragement eight to two. Yet, even in that silence, the divine hand is steady. Babs reminded participants that God never abandons His own classroom: “He won’t fast-track your process, but He won’t forsake you either.”

The 11th Hour: When It Feels Too Long

As the teaching reached its climax, the reality of the wilderness’ length and severity came into view.
Not everyone survives it — not even Moses, Aaron, or Miriam made it to the Promised Land. Yet, even at that breaking point, God’s protection remained intact. Balaam, the powerful oracle hired to curse Israel, could not utter a single curse. The armies that confronted them could not prevail.

That unseen defence was one of the most profound takeaways of the session: even when you can’t feel God, He is still fighting battles you don’t even know exist.

Breakthrough and Fulfilment

For those who endure, the outcome is transformation.
“You will come out a new person — refined, wiser, and more grounded in God and purpose,” Babs concluded. The wilderness, in the end, is not a detour; it is preparation for destiny. It doesn’t destroy—it refines.

The teaching closed with this reminder: “The wilderness prepares you for your Promised Land.”

Key Takeaways

• The wilderness is God’s classroom, not His courtroom.
• Every discomfort is a tool for transformation, not punishment.
• Survival, not luxury, defines the season.
• Faith may feel lonely, but God’s hand is never absent.
• Breakthroughs are born from endurance.

Final Reflection

Life’s wilderness moments are not designed to bury us but to build us.
They strip away excess, expose the heart, and teach what comfort never could. If you find yourself walking through a dry, uncertain season, remember: you are not lost — you are in class.

Stay the course. The Promised Land awaits.

ALSO READ: ThriVe! with Babs (51st Edition): The Awakening – Navigating the Journey of Destiny