Several months ago, I (Jill) spent some time looking at the lessons that we can learn from the wilderness. I read about the Israelites on their journey as well as the time Jesus spent in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry. Wow! What a rich study!
So exactly what do I mean by “wilderness”? A wilderness is simply a place in life where you do not want to be. It is not a place where I simply plop down and stay put! It portrays a sense of forward momentum – the moving from something to something else. It is the perfect example of the transition bridge that we often describe to global workers in reentry.
Let me take a few moments to share with you just a few of the lessons that I gleaned from the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites:
Learn dependence on God –
Often the way God is leading does not make much sense to us or the timing seems off or the wait feels just too long – not to mention that wandering in the desert is not on our bucket list! God promised his people a land full of blessing – but the way there would stretch their faith in unimaginable ways.
“My fragile spirit reminds me of just how ‘not-God’ I am. These reminders are a gift given by the darkness. They drew me toward dependence rather than dread. My humanity provides the fertile soil for God to grow humility and gratitude and faithfulness.” (Katherine Wolf Treasures in the Dark, pg.35)
Witness God’s faithfulness and His provision –
God is faithful & will use all sorts of things to strengthen our faith & bring goodness to His people.
Sometimes the most difficult journeys – you know, those where we are ready to call it quits and go back to Egypt – end with the most incredible moments. They just might bring us to a place of the deepest beauty and comfort we will ever know.
The Israelites learned that all they had to do was to look to God to meet their needs. Miracles are right in front of us everyday – we just have to open our eyes and draw close to Him.
Focus on God’s Plan –
Often we need to “reframe” the picture before us. How can we see with “God’s eyes” instead of our own. The wilderness is a puzzle from our perspective, but from God’s perspective, it is His perfect plan for our lives. I believe that He wants me to see it as an opportunity to identify & clarify my purpose.
God fights for us –
But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Ex. 14:13-14
Let’s break it down – Don’t be afraid
Just stand still
Watch the Lord
Just stay calm
He does not leave us to battle on our own in difficult places – He does not expect us to fight the enemy with our strength. We are to be still and know that He is God.
We must persevere –
Stay strong, keeping pressing on – we are talking 40 long years!!
God continually walks beside us –
God never abandoned them on their journey – He never left them alone; He was always with them.
So this is just the beginning… next time we will look at lessons from Jesus in the wilderness.
What lessons have you learned from the wilderness? We would love to hear from you!
