"Some wandered in the wilderness,
   lost and homeless.
Hungry and thirsty,
   they nearly died.
'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble,
   and he rescued them from distress.
He led them straight to safety,
   to a city where they could live.
Let them praise the Lord for his great love
   and for the wonderful things he has done for
      them.
For he satisfies the thirsty
   and fills the hungry with good things."

Psalm 107:4-9

Some wandered in the wilderness.

Not the fairy tale kind of wilderness with lush canopies and dancing fireflies and singing birds.

No, the psalmist was talking about the type of wilderness often referenced in the Bible, the barren stretches of lonely landscape with no discernible landmarks and no end in sight, the kind people wander in for forty years and despair of ever being free of.

Phew.

It’s rare to meet a person who’s never experienced a wilderness season like those described in the Bible. Most of us experience at least one in our lifetime.

Some may experience more than one per lifetime.

As for me…

In my late teens and early twenties, I wandered in the wilderness of man’s definition of love and for a time, the wilderness of single motherhood.

In my late twenties, I wandered in the wilderness of disillusionment, a wilderness that many of us encounter when we realize that no matter how satisfying our career or marriage or raising children is, something is still missing.

In my mid-thirties, I wandered in the wilderness of doctoral fatigue and nearly landed in the dissertation boneyard, that place where people who wash out of the program sit with nothing to show for their efforts but mountains of debt and depression and “ABD (all but dissertation)” behind their names, a constant reminder that they didn’t quite reach the goal.

In each of these wilderness seasons, despite having been on the run from God at the time, I found myself at a point where I too cried out as the psalmist quotes in Psalm 107:6, “Lord, help!”. And time and time again, God rescued me from my distress. Each time, He brought me to safety, to a place where I found life.

Maybe one of these wilderness seasons resonates with you. Maybe you’re currently experiencing a kind of wilderness, one of financial devastation, physical illness, loss of a loved one, spiritual emptiness, anxiety, depression, confusion, or something else entirely.

In truth friends, I’ve been experiencing a wilderness season since stepping out in faith last August to pursue God’s calling for me. It’s been a rough year, but I recognize that much like God getting the Israelites out of Egypt was just the first step in preparing them for the Promised Land, getting me out of the hustle and bustle of career was just the first step in getting the “Egypt out of me” so I could enter the destiny He has for me.

When we find ourselves in the wilderness, we mostly just want out of it and that’s an understandable reaction. Biblical wilderness is really unpleasant.

But dear heart, can I share some encouragement with you?

Over the past twenty years or so, I have learned that even in my wandering, God is my constant companion. When I cry out “Lord, help!”, His rescue from my distress is not always rescue from the wilderness itself. He is just as likely to provide a place of safety in the wilderness for a quick rest and refuel before we press ahead. But even in the wilderness, He is faithful to satisfy our hungry souls with more of Him just as He once satisfied the bellies of His children with manna.

Beloved, whether we’re looking back on a wilderness season or looking straight into one, we can “praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done” (Psalm 107:8).

We are the redeemed, those who were exiled, but that He has gathered to Himself. Those who once wandered lost and homeless in the wilderness, but are now found and called citizens of Heaven (Luke 15:10; Philippians 3:20).

Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!

To ensure you receive posts and updates, consider subscribing via email below: