“It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.”
— Exodus 16:10

God prepared the Israelites to enter the Promised Land by having them spend forty years in the wilderness. It may not have been the most pleasant training ground, but it was their place of preparation nonetheless.

In the wilderness they learned to rely on God as their provider. In the wilderness they literally saw God’s glory revealed in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. And it was in the wilderness that the Israelites were transformed. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob became the God of Israel during that season as they saw His mighty hand move on their behalf.

Beloved, I want to encourage you to look to the Lord during wilderness experiences in your life because there are things He teaches us and does for us in the wilderness that He can’t do when life is easier. Paul went through the wilderness of having what he called “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). We don’t know exactly what this thorn in the flesh was—only that it was difficult to bear. Three times he asked God to remove it, but God’s response was, “No, My power will be perfected in your weakness.” (See 2 Corinthians 12:9.)

God is using your wilderness season to bring about His purpose in your life, so don’t waste your wilderness. Give thanks to the Lord today for the place you find yourself in, knowing that He is using this season to bring you into a bright future.

Father God, thank You for having a plan for the difficult seasons in my life. I know You are using them to reveal Yourself to me in a deeper way and prepare me for what You have next for me. I trust You to use wilderness seasons in my life to make me stronger and to bring me into a deeper relationship with You.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Revelation (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2020), Used by permission.