Author Darlene J. Conard

The wilderness seasons weigh heavily on me—I loathe them. They stretch on endlessly, marked by silence so thick it presses against my chest. The days feel long and hollow, the nights echo with uncertainty, and every step seems shaky, as though the ground beneath me might give way at any moment. It is a place stripped of comfort, stripped of answers, stripped of anything that could soothe the ache. There is a silence; God withholds details. He replies, “Trust Me.”

Nothing can fill the emptiness, because it is not meant to be filled by human effort. It is a void—a sacred emptiness—that God Himself has carved out. In that barren space, He intends to do His deepest work. The wilderness is not punishment, though it feels harsh; it is preparation. It is the place where He dismantles what is fragile, exposes what is false, and recreates what is eternal.

Though I resist it, though I long for escape, I know the wilderness is where God reshapes me. It is the crucible of transformation, the silent workshop of His Spirit. And while I loathe its loneliness, I cannot deny its purpose: the void is not abandonment, but invitation. It is the canvas upon which He paints new life, the soil where He plants unseen seeds, the silence where His voice will one day thunder with revelation.

The wilderness is not wasted—it is vital. It is the forge where tomorrow is shaped, the hidden classroom where God teaches lessons too deep for crowded places. Every barren stretch, every silent night, every trembling step is preparation for the season yet to come.

Do not think He has forgotten the promises He whispered over your life. The silence is not neglect; it is a strategy. The waiting is not a delay; it is a design. In the wilderness, He is weaving strength into your spirit, stretching your faith, and sharpening your vision.

He is not still because He is absent—He is still because He is working. Beneath the surface, He is aligning paths, opening unseen doors, and preparing you for your next great walk. The wilderness is the threshold, the rehearsal, the holy pause before the unveiling.

So endure the quiet, embrace the ache, and trust the unseen hand. For when the season shifts, you will step out not fragile, but fortified—not wandering, but walking with purpose into the promises He has kept all along.

James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

“O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.” — Psalm 139:1-2 KJV

“I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”— Jeremiah 17:10 KJV

Feel free to forward it to anyone you wish.  My mission is to encourage everyone to follow our Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. ©Darlene J. Conard Vision Ministries 2024.   This may not be republished or used without the author’s written consent. Darlene J. Conard is also affiliated with Glory Carrier Ministries.

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