The Wilderness Experience

Being in a place of wilderness can be lonely and frustrating. However, it is in the time of wilderness that our true character is revealed. I never thought the book of Deuteronomy would speak so clearly to me as I journey through this faze of my life.

Duet 8:2 "Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands." Being in the wilderness is never fun. It is easy to give up and just quit when you are all alone and when everything you love has been stripped from you. But God allows these situations to occur to find out whether or not we would obey him. How much will we completely depend on the Lord to take care of things for us. Even when life is rough, will we remain obedient to the Lord? One area God has called me to be obedient to is to drop my Facebook account. It is only for a season, but I heard him tell me that I needed to deactivate my account. It took me a week, but I finally did. It is not that Facebook is a sin, but for me, God wants me to be totally dependent on him for my support and love.

It talks about being humbled as one reason God brought his people through the wilderness. Although giving up Facebook was an act of obedience from my part, God has brought me to this place of wilderness to humble me. He also took away something from me and that is my ministry. I know he will bring me to a new place to serve, but it is very hard when an area you love serving so much gets taken from you. I have no control over what happened. But I do have control over how I respond. I do have control over how I treat those who have wronged me and hurt me. My test is how am I going to respond and will I obey him.

As I continue to read Deuteronomy, I find my answers. v4 says, "For all these forty years your clothes didn't wear out and your feet didn't blister or swell. Think about it: just as parents disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good." God took care of their needs by supplying food and water. I know God will take care of my needs. But I have to examine myself and really look at the areas of my life God is refining. I need to look at pride and complaining and grumbling and criticizing and ask God to forgive me for anything of these that are causing me to stumble. He does this to test my character and to see if I will obey him.

Then it continues, v6 "So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing steams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig tress, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. "

The Israelites spend 40 years in the wilderness because they were grumbling and complaining. What should have taken them 11 days took 40 years. I don't want to spend 40 years of my life in a place of wilderness. I know I must obey the Lord in what he tells me to do. God is calling me to a place of obedience and I know he will bless me because of it.

In conclusion, when this time comes, I have to remember to thank God for what his is about to do. v11 "That is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the lord your God and disobey his commands." As God provides for me and brings me to a place of blessing, I can't forget to thank him and remain obedient to him. Although I am still in the "wilderness" phase of my life, I know he will bring me to a "good land". My job is to be obedient to him and walk in his ways. I know this is only for a season. I want to pass the test and my good character to be seen by God.

Lord forgive me for being prideful, for criticizing others, for complaining and grumbling about my situation. I want to move out of the wilderness into the good land that is ahead. I want to be obedient to you in everything I do. Amen.