The Wilderness

Beginning in the book of Exodus you read about the Israelites traveling through the wilderness. They begin it with God doing amazing things to have them released from Egypt and then you find that God made their path go in such a way where they HAD to stand at the shore of the Red Sea just when the Egyptian army was approaching. It looked impossible and yet God parted the sea and the people were able to walk through on dry ground. After dealing with the amazing miraculous sea parting, the Israelites continued to be in the wilderness following the pillar God used to guide them. No matter how many times God took care of them, protected them, and provided for them they continued to complain and doubt God’s care and goodness. Then as they approached the Promised Land and Moses sent in the twelve spies ten of them came back with a report of the giants and that the people would be destroyed if they tried to fight them. Joshua and Caleb however returned saying that with God, they could take them. It was because of their lack of faith they would have to wander for 40 years. But even during that prolonged time that was self-inflicted by their own lack of faith, God never let their clothes or sandals wear out or let them go hungry or thirsty. And that story is used throughout Scripture as an example of just how awesome God is even in times of wandering in the wilderness.

It’s been brought to my attention by several people that right now this is my wilderness season. God leads His people into the wilderness to test and refine them. You look throughout Scripture and this principle is there nearly from beginning to end. Genesis, when Abraham was called to leave everything and then even counting the season of waiting for Isaac to come, Joseph in prison, Moses’ 40 years before being called by God to deliver the Israelites, Ruth as she was working the fields, David hiding from Saul and even from his son Absolom, Elijah when he was called to go into hiding, and that’s just a sample of the Old Testament saints who went through seasons of pain, uncertainty and having to learn to trust and obey God. Then in the New Testament you see Paul being in Arabia, Peter in his time between the Resurrection and being reinstated, John on the Island of Patmos, and of course Jesus when He was led into the wilderness to be tempted. These “wilderness” times were so vital in making these people vessels God was able to use for His glory in amazing ways but they (except Jesus of course) had some rough edges that needed to be sanded down. That sanding or refining tends to only happen in the times where we are called to wait upon Him in times of uncertainty, discomfort, and yes sometimes pain.

I can’t lie and pretend by saying that my faith has not wavered during this past month as I’ve embarked on my journey, but God continues to prove His faithfulness in both little and big ways. He continues to show me His constant care and awareness of the fact how much pain I’m in. And yet still He whispers the same thing He’s said from the beginning that I simply need to wait and trust Him to work things out for His glory. I just pray that I don’t behave like the ten spies who lacked faith but that I would trust God in His leading as He continues with me as I wander following Him and having faith that He is bringing me into a place that will blow my mind.