The WildernessSample

4th day. Encouragement in the wilderness

Now that we have dealt with the reasons why the wilderness is important and an essential part of our lives, let’s look at some of the promises God gives us when we travel through the wilderness.

Isaiah 43:18-19 “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” What!? A river in the desert? A road in the wilderness? That sounds to me like God promises to perform miracles for us. Even though the wilderness is known as rough terrain and without the proper supplies the chances of survival are few; the God that we serve says He will prepare the way for us.

Roads connect one place to another, which means that the road God guides us in is the path to our promised land. It is in the wilderness that we find the path that God has prepared for us, and we will be equipped to inherit our promises. Proverbs 16:9 declares that God will direct our steps even if we might have other plans. The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years because of disobedience. Let us learn from their mistakes and travel the road that God prepares for us so that we in turn can prepare the way for Him.

The number one thing that every soul longs for in the wilderness is water. Part of the good news of Isaiah 43 is that God will make rivers appear in the deserts. Jesus was at a festival in John chapter 7 when He declared that He came to bring us a gift, and you guessed it… It is a gift of rivers of living water. Verses 37-39 testify about these words. Jesus was talking about the abundance of the Holy Spirit that we carry in our hearts as believers. The wilderness reveals to us the abundance of blessings we have in Christ. When we travel through the wilderness and focus on God, He will do a miracle for us and let the rivers of His Spirit overwhelm us, even so, that we forget we are in a dry and weary land. That is supernatural strength if you ask me.

Another promise of God in the wilderness is that He will do something new. “New” means something that doesn’t exist yet or has not existed before. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no ideas have been thought of by man, the things which God has prepared for us are completely new. Some things are coming your way my friend, things that only God can give you, provide and make way for, things that are meant for you alone. The wilderness is the place that God chooses to reveal and give to us these new things.

Our part in the wilderness is to trust in Him, stay faithful and obedient to Him, and follow Him throughout it all. Even Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross and despised the shame. Let Jesus lead, our job is to follow.