Wilderness 101: God is there

When God's people had fled from Egypt and were making their way to the Promised Land, they spent time in the physical wilderness. In biblical stories, people were in the wilderness to do something epic or hard for God. And God would provide for them or teach them something there. But for us, a 'wilderness' is more likely to be when a person we love walks away, or education or job choices crumble before our eyes. Or it could be in a bedroom listening to our parents' marriage fall apart in a screaming match. Or it may be on a bedside chair in a cancer ward. Being in the wilderness is hard, often with no obvious direction, joy or hope. But... the 'wilderness' is also the place where God shows up most tangibly. Miracles happen in the wilderness.

Like a signpost to the nearest town with a petrol station, a pointer to God in our wilderness times is good news. In one biblical desert story, God provided a massive pillar of fire and smoke to guide his people. Today, our guide is less 'smoky', but the Bible is packed full of pointers to our God who can save, mightily. The Psalm writer said, 'Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path' (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

The Psalms are a great source of comfort when we're in the darkest times. With God, we are never alone in our wilderness.



So what now? Start at Psalm 1, and skim read through the Psalms until you find one that speaks to where you are today. Stop, read it through, then write it out.





— SCRIPTURE —

'He...guided them in the wilderness like a flock.' Psalms 78:52 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

1 Ki 16:1-18:15, Luke 12:22-34, Ps 66:1-12, Pro 6:20-22