Develop Your Wilderness Skills

Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever. . . . to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever.

Psalm 136:3, 16

When you hear the word wilderness, what do you think of? Starry nights to commune with God in His beautiful creation? Or bugs, sleeping on the ground, and no running water? For Christ-followers, a wilderness can mean a time of testing and a season of growth. If you’re in the wilderness today, rest assured that your guide is none other than Christ Himself.

Every follower of Jesus goes through several wilderness seasons in life. Each time the experience exposes how vulnerable, how defenseless, and how small we are in this big world and vast universe. But God is always doing something in us. The wilderness is no mistake in navigation. It is the path to freedom that God has chosen for His people to go through. In the wilderness, God’s love becomes more strongly rooted in our hearts.

Still, none of us ever goes looking for the wilderness. Instead we feel thrust into the unknown, and we sometimes get lost as we wander. During your wilderness times, know that God will change your thinking as He transforms you. He will not let you be lost or forgotten as you follow Him wherever He leads you.

Since the wilderness brings me more strength and understanding, Lord, help me follow where You lead, even into the unknown.