And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. Hebrews 3:17, 19
The wilderness is filled with many casualties. If care is not taken, what is meant to be a blessing can end up becoming a curse.
We often wonder what good is in the wilderness. When God allows us to go into the wilderness, he does so because he knows that it’s necessary for our good—to get us ready and fit for the next phase of our life. I’ve heard people said: Thank God I went through that “experience.” I’ve heard cancer survivors said that experience is the greatest thing that ever happened to them. It is tough but it is true.
The reason is because for every new level, there’s a new devil waiting. If you’re not prepared to meet the new devil, you’ll be totally defeated. That’s why God takes us on a detour through the wilderness—to get us ready. But then, it does happen that many never make it out of the wilderness. They get entrapped by all the difficulties and temptations in the wilderness.
“I’m coming out”
How do you make it out of the wilderness of life? But first we need to know how the rest ended their journey in the wilderness. Why did that generation of Israelites referred to in the scripture above perish in the wilderness? Very simple: They lacked faith, and when you lack faith that you’ll make it out, then it’s over. If you don’t believe that you can make it out of the wilderness, you will end up there. The determination and the will to make it out is foremost. Before you can win the wilderness battle, you must win the battle of the mind.
Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” Eventually, you call the shot when it comes to life in the wilderness. When life throws lemon at you, you are the one that determine what you make out of it, whether lemonade or bitter lemon. The choice is yours. I leave you with one of my favorite verses:
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalms 27:13