Welcome to the Wilderness!

"You saw with your own eyes the great trials and those great signs and wonders. Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear. I lead you 40 years in the wilderness; your clothes and the sandals on your feet did not wear out; you did not eat bread or drink wine or beer--so that you might know that I am the LORD you God." (Deuteronomy 29:3-6) My prayer is a simple one; Lord give me a mind to understand, eyes that see and ears that hear and grant me the courage to persevere.

Welcome to the wilderness! It is not a destination but it is very much part of the journey. The wilderness is a place where you will be able to experience God's provision in a unique way. The wilderness is a place of discovery. It is a place where we can discover who God is, who we are and the relationship between the two. But there is a catch, if the Lord doesn't give you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear, all you will experience is bewilderment.

God leads us into the wilderness. I think this is important to know because when we find ourselves in situations that expose our vulnerability one of the first questions often asked is,"How did I get here!" It is in the wilderness that we discover that our hoarded resources are inadequate. I personally have found this to be an uncomfortable experience.

We live in a world of instant answers but when God leads us into to the wilderness it is not only a time a becoming empty of self reliance it also a time of waiting. This is the place were we wrestle with our fears and our doubts. Although this time of wrestling and waiting can cause you to feel very alone this is actually the place where where you can come to know God in a more intimate way.

God leads us into the wilderness so that we can experience him. As long as we are able to depend on ourselves we will depend on ourselves. But when our endurance is exhausted and our strength has failed us and we cry out to him, he answers us. God has promised that we will find him when we seek him with all our hearts. And if we ask he will give us understand, opening our eyes to see and ears to hear inviting us to enter into his rest.