01: In the Wilderness

Wandering in the wilderness is something that can come out of nowhere. It can creep up so unexpectedly, like a wrong turn off the highway, and suddenly you’re lost! It’s so hard to be hopeful and full of joy when you are stuck in the wilderness. There is nothing around you and everything seems pointless.

Take heart though because “we walk by faith and not by sight”-2 Corinthians 5v7. When searching for your promised land remember that it is in this exact wilderness that you will be shaped and it is here that you will hear God speak.

Being in the wilderness happens more than once in your life and can often be described as a season where nothing seems to be going right and you’re tired of fighting, feeling hopeless and possibly even defeated. However this place is also the place where mercy truly grows and takes root. We go through the wilderness to be a blessing to others and help guide them to knowing and loving the wonderful God we serve. You learn to rely solely on God in this wilderness and realise you cannot do it on your own. You don’t need to be perfect, have it all together and be strong because he is strongest when we are weak.

Some ways we can spend our time in the wilderness wisely

1. Trust God. He knows why he has put you here, he has you in the palm of his hands. He has a specific reason and lesson for you to learn that will come about only through being here.

2. Worship him. Even though it’s hard. Even if your heart is not always in it, use your mouth to praise him and ask him to help your heart to follow.

3. Pray hard and faith hard. The most important thing is to keep praying hard for whatever struggle you are going through. Pray He will give you the strength to continue to walk this and have faith that it will all work the way he designed it to.

4. You can grieve. It’s ok to be sad and it’s ok to have down days. Don’t beat yourself up for having them. Once you have had your down day or days pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move forward, you can do this!

5. Take your emotions captive and be obedient. If you are anything like me your emotions can lead you astray. Mine constantly wonder and I’m left questioning my faith. Rather stop your emotions the second they appear and recite God’s promises. Be obedient to anything God asks of you in this time. Listen out for his still voice.

Deuteronomy 2:7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.

I hope that whatever challenge and wilderness you are facing today you can feel encouraged. Whether it is infertility or something else I pray you are encouraged as we walk this road together.

Ashtyn