Wilderness is Not Meant for Evil But for Your Good

A Reflection on the 1st Reading for June 7th, 2026:
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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Deuteronomy
8.2-3, 14-16

Moses spoke to the people: “Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

“Do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

God never abandons His own, and I have come to believe this deeply through my life’s difficult seasons. Scripture reminds us, “Remember the long way that the Lord your God has led you” (Dt 8:2). Looking back, I now realize that wilderness seasons are not always signs of God’s absence, but evidence of His formation.

Sometimes, while jubilating over one storm having passed, another appears. The hardest part is not always the storm itself, but the wounds caused by people during those seasons. There are moments when those you expect to understand you judge, gossip about, or misunderstand you. Difficult seasons have taught me that trials reveal not only pain, but also the condition of the human heart.

The wilderness does not only happen at work. Sometimes, the wilderness still finds you. I have experienced moments where I was blamed or accused of things I was not involved in. Though painful, I refuse to let it destroy me because I know where God picked me and where He is taking me. That assurance gives me confidence that the wilderness is not meant for my destruction, but for my elevation.

Recently, I experienced this in a new workplace role. I was assigned to understudy a colleague who would soon be leaving the position. The first week, everything seemed peaceful. By the second week, however, tension filled the atmosphere. She became unwilling to teach me the role or hand over responsibilities. As a newbie, I felt trapped between wanting to learn and wanting to maintain the peace. Many times, I wanted to defend myself or report the situation, but I chose restraint and prayer instead.

Yet in the middle of the wilderness, God sustained me. The book of Deuteronomy says that God allowed the wilderness “to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart” (Dt 8:16). That season taught me patience, endurance, and total reliance on God. I prayed through difficult evenings after my colleague left, while I remained behind trying to navigate responsibilities on my own. Somehow, God strengthened me to continue.

What touched me most was what happened afterward. My employers saw how poorly I had been treated, and my manager later apologised and took responsibility for how the handover process unfolded. In that moment, I understood what it means to let God fight your battles. Silence is not weakness when God is your defender.

This reading also reminds me that “one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Mt 4:4). We seek fulfillment in jobs, approval, money, relationships, or status, yet only God can sustain the soul. Prayer, Scripture, Mass, and the Eucharist carried me when my strength failed.

Today, I am grateful for the wilderness. What once felt painful now looks like preparation. God was never absent in the fire. He was walking through it with me all along.

Prayer: Lord, please help me trust You in every wilderness season, knowing that even difficult seasons are working for my good. Amen.




Michaelina Dawston- Otoo 

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