Purposefully Placed in the Wilderness

“But, like Israel, we struggle to understand why God would allow us to wander in a wilderness of lack. While we demand that He answer our prayers with what we want, His reply is to remind us who He is. Every page of Scripture tells us who He is and what He’s done. Wandering is a gift that helps us to remember this” Glenna Marshall, The Promise is His Presence

The wilderness can be a place where we feel lost, out of sorts, confused, or stuck between destinations. Like someone stumbling through a sandstorm and they can’t see beyond their hand, or like someone standing in the middle of a forest where you can’t see a way out , the wilderness can feel disorienting. It can feel like there’s no clear path to move forward. But one of the things that’s clear in every biblical wilderness story is that God has led or placed His people in the wilderness with good purposes in mind.

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How to be Led by God

In Psalm 25, David repeatedly asks God to teach and lead him. He uses very similar language in Psalm 27 when he speaks of someone having no parents to guide them in life with wisdom and love (Ps. 27:10), and yet God steps into that role as our loving, heavenly Father and He teaches and leads us on the right path (27:11).

Notice the repetition of David’s requests or comments on God leading him in Psalm 25:

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God Leads Us With Wisdom & Love

Like many others, I have a bad sense of direction. Before the days of GPS—when we used printed Mapquest directions or a folded map—I made quite a few wrong turns and detours. A number of trips took longer than I wanted, frustrating anyone in the care and embarrassing me. My wife still gets the privilege (she might use a different word) of helping me on trips as “the navigator,” a duty that falls on whoever rides shotgun on road-trips. GPS has made life a little easier, but why can’t they give me directions earlier so I’m not swerving at the last-minute? GPS or Google Maps also doesn’t always have all the information (at least not right away), such as a road closure, traffic jam, or a closed business.

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