Through The Wilderness

As I write this, I find myself in a very challenging time in my life. One of those situations that challenge the emotional, physical and spiritual all at once. One of those situations that makes you want to hide at home. 

While we all deal with challenges differently, it is fairly universal that we all go through these times in our lives.

Our ladies Bible Study is currently going through the book One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer, and many of us seem to find ourselves in the same place, while our situations are different. In the book Priscilla relates these times and situations to the Israelites time in the wilderness. Boy can it feel that way.

You see. If you read the story of the Israelites closely, you see that God intentionally led the Israelites to the wilderness. Priscilla goes on to show us that that wilderness time was meant to build relationship between the Israelites and God. While He could have led them straight to Canaan, they perhaps would have been more focused on the blessings of God than on God. The wilderness was a great way of showing the Israelites to have faith; to rely on Him and have relationship with Him.

In our lives, there are many times that we think we know how God should work in our situations, but He doesn't. I am realizing more and more that this is more for my development than I would care to admit. If God were to answer my prayers and work in my life the way that I would have it, would I be learning to rely on Him the way that I am? Would I be required to actually have faith in Him and the way he works? Would my character be growing? Likely not. I have to trust that God is working my life the way He is, for two reasons:

1 - to develop my relationship with Him

2 - to bring glory to Himself

1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

While living this out in the day to day is easier said than done, and we still may feel like hiding, we have to know that God's plan in our situation is better than our own. Our faith and relationship will be built, if we learn to trust Him.

Kourtnay K.