The Wilderness

The wilderness is often thought of, as a place of wandering and wondering. It’s often viewed as this awkward phase between where you’ve been and where you’re trying to go. It’s the not so fun season in your life. I recently read a book that completely changed how I see the wilderness!


Many treat their wilderness season as a negative time in their life that they are so desperately wanting to be delivered from. By the end of today’s blog, you’ll have a new appreciation for your time in The Wilderness. Many things occur during this time and I want to share some great highlights of wilderness living.


In the wilderness you become separated. People you once rolled with, seem to roll out of your life. You find yourself feeling alone at times. You feel this awkward difference between you and others. You feel people are not seeing what you are seeing, or not feeling what you are feeling. Choose to view all these things as a positive! Separation sparks growth in identity and knowledge. I remember feeling so down on myself when a woman I viewed as a very close friend decided a friendship with me was not what she wanted anymore. Girl……talk about some feelings hurt! I felt so less than and I felt my sense of worth going on a steady decline. It was during this time I found my worth in Christ. I learned to not place my worth in man’s approval or acceptance of me. I found out what that old school song meant when it said, What a friend we have in Jesus. The more I sought Christ, the greater my esteem became, because I realized that a great God loved me, and I was worthy. I learned to appreciate the great people God placed in my life, and to recognize their value. This is probably why I love to encourage people so much. I know what it’s like to feel less than, and I love to make everyone feel seen, heard, and valued. 


In the wilderness you experience quietness. You’ve been separated and now you’re alone with your many thoughts. Sometimes you even feel as though God is quiet and not responding at the speed you want Him to. When life goes quiet, that’s that perfect time to get closer to God. That’s why He had to separate you, He wants some alone time with you! Take the quiet time and seek God with all you have. Give Him that new time you have. Just think…how much better you’re going to be able to hear the Lord when all that extra outside and internal noise has grown quiet. Enjoy resting in his presence and peace. Discover new things about the Lord and yourself.


In the wilderness you get prepared. All that alone time is not for nothing. Ideas, information, and strategies are given. This time prepares you for the next season you are about to enter. You should spend this time planning and allowing God to walk you through the things you are viewing as, I’m going through. This time is not a set back, but a set up. Think about some of the people who went through the wilderness; Moses, The Israelites, and Jesus. What they experienced in the wilderness prepared them for their next season. Moses became a great leader who led the people of God out of the hands of their oppressor. The Israelites entered the Promised Land. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, overcame temptation, and His ministry days began. Y’all I’m telling you, you may be experiencing some rough and tough times right now in your wilderness season, but see the set up forming. See the preparations happening, and see that victorious light beaming ahead!


In the wilderness you still receive blessings. I’ve mentioned this before in another blog, the parallels of living life with joy. I learned this from a book written by Rick Warren’s wife, and I never forgot it. Imagine living life as if on a train track, while moving along there are two sides of the track; one side is all the sucky stuff happening, and parallel to it on the other side is all the amazing things happening. We get to choose what side we focus on. It is never only bad, then only good happening. Great and not so great things are happening at the same time, it’s up to us which will be our focus. Raw moment, I got some sucky stuff going on in my life, but you know what, I have so many blessings occurring everyday in my life! I refuse to allow the things I’m not happy about to over shadow all the answered prayers in front of my face!


The wilderness can be full of challenging times. The wonderful thing about those challenges is they are built specifically for you to come out victorious! You may be in a wilderness, you may have just come out of one, you may be getting ready to enter one; know that victory is on the other side. Seek God and enjoy this time with Him. Let Him love on you, provide for you, show you His glory, and prepare you. See the beauty that can only be discovered in The Wilderness.


Vyse ❤️