the wilderness is all about perspective
One of the most impactful lessons from Scripture is the wandering of the Israelites through the wilderness. There are many takeaways from their journey toward the promised land which will be considered over the next three days of this study. The wilderness is all about perspective.
We need to change our perspective of wilderness living.
It’s one thing that our behavior and lifestyle lead us to the wilderness (e.g. prodigal son), but it’s totally different when you’ve been following God’s direction into the wilderness. When the Israelites left Egypt for the promised land, the Lord God led them by a cloud during the day and a fire by night. The first place the Israelites camped was in Etham by the edge of the wilderness because God led them there (Exodus 13:20). The Israelites’ journey took them to places most would not want to be traveling much less living.
Wilderness camping these days is quite a bit different than it was 4000 years ago. There’s an entire demographic ready to disappear off the grid. The allure of leaving it all behind is rather tempting for some and to be honest the thought has crossed my mind as well. While the physical wilderness is where we all want to spend our lives, the metaphorical wilderness is more a reality. To be blunt, most people are living in a wilderness of their own making. I’d rather be living in the wilderness following God’s leading than living anywhere without God. The wilderness is all about perspective
Honest questions to determine where we are in our walk with God
- Have I made my wilderness to live in?
- Am I living where God wants me to be? And if I’m not, how can I get to that place?
- Ask God for directions to find His plan for your life.
Make an action plan like that of the prodigal son (read Luke 15:11 – 32) if your life isn’t where God wants you to be
- Come to your senses
- Change direction
- Get going
- Follow through