Lessons From the WildernessSample

The Wilderness Is A Hard Place, Not A Bad Place

The wilderness in the Old Testament was described as “great and terrifying.” It was a place where the Israelites wandered for forty years because of a complete lack of trust in God. God, in his sovereign wisdom, led them into the wilderness and stayed by their side, protecting and providing for them until an entire generation of the old guard died. He then led the new generation under the leadership of Joshua into the promised land.

In our lives today, the wilderness is less a place and more a season. It is a God-orchestrated period when we are forced to reckon with our circumstances, enemies and limitations. It is when we are found listlessly wandering outside many closed doors. It sometimes feels like we are sitting in a hot place of misunderstanding and confusion. It could feel like a barren place of endless waiting and countless unanswered prayers.

The wilderness will be a hard season, but it will not be fruitless. It will have evidence of the sweet presence of God throughout. You will find favor in unexpected ways, and unexplained blessings will be showered along the way. The only condition to navigating the wilderness season is to keep your eyes on Jesus and your heart and mind sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is saying and doing. When this is your posture, your response will be gratitude for all He has done and His constant presence in your life. No wilderness could keep the God of the universe away from you. He is, after all, the God of the wilderness too!