Finding Ourselves in the Wilderness

No doubt we have all had times in our lives when it seemed as though we were wandering in the wilderness, sometimes not knowing how we even got there. The wilderness I'm talking about can be a different experience from person to person. For one it might be a struggle in a relationship, for another it might be the health issue of a loved one and still for another it might be the loss of a job. Looking through Scripture, one can see that time in the wilderness can be life changing.

God meets His people in the wilderness. We see over and over again that God uses the wilderness as an opportunity to meet with and speak to His people. In Moses' life alone we see God leading him into the wilderness on two separate occasions and both times God speaks to him in powerful ways. In chapter 4 of Matthew we read that Jesus was "led by the Spirit" into the wilderness so that God could prepare him for his ministry that would change the course of history. The wilderness belongs to God and He uses it to meet us there.

Often times the "wilderness" experiences we have in life can cause us to feel confused, afraid, doubtful and uncertain of the direction we're headed but it's also in the wilderness that the other noises of life are stilled and we are able to hear God speak to us more clearly. Sometimes God leads us into the wilderness to find Him and only then truly find ourselves. So if you are finding yourself in a time of wilderness, be patient and seek God because He desires to meet you there.