True You By Michelle DeRushaSample

Day Six: The Wilderness

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-5

The truth is, and I cannot stress this strongly enough, silence and solitude are an absolute necessity if we truly desire to know and understand our true selves and enter into intimate relationship with God. It’s non-negotiable: “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it’” (Isaiah 30:15). You will not be able to know your whole self and who you are in God if you are not willing to make a concerted effort to carve out space for silence and solitude in the midst of your everyday life.

You’re probably familiar with the story of Moses and the burning bush. A couple of years ago, though, I noticed something in this story that I’d never seen before. Prior to spotting the burning bush, Moses was tending his flock of sheep at “the far side of the wilderness” (Exod. 3:1). The more I thought about it, the more I realized that these are some of the most important words in this story. God led Moses to the far side of the wilderness—to the quietest, loneliest, most isolated, most desolate place possible. And it was only in that place, away from the demands and distractions of ordinary life, that God spoke to Moses. I wonder if God is calling us to the far side of the wilderness, so that we, like Moses, will hear God and see God and know that we are invited to holy ground.

When I was in the midst of the descent and the subsequent wilderness wandering that followed, I couldn’t see the way through. I could not see the road ahead, and I could not see God. Our wilderness—similar to Moses’ and the Israelites’ wanderings—is characterized by two small but important words: stay and wait. 

I don’t know about you, but to me, stay and wait are two of the least appealing words in the English language, especially when you find yourself in a place where the path is neither straight nor clear and all you want is out. But the truth is, staying and waiting are two of the most fundamental aspects of the journey toward uncovering our true selves. God calls us to stay and wait, and all the while, he is working out something we can’t see or even imagine.

Have you considered that God could be intentionally leading you to the far side of the wilderness for a particular reason? What might he be yearning for you to see or hear as you stand still?