Why wilderness?

When you are going through a period of hardship, when there seems to be no hope of ever escaping from it, it is difficult to maintain your hope and faith that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28) and to thank Him in all circumstances (I Thessalonians 5:18). If you knew there is a way of shortening the period of hardship, you would probably do it.

When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they went through the wilderness for forty years. The period could have been a lot shorter, if they did not disobey the Lord at Kadesh Barnea (Deuteronomy 1) and went to capture the land of the Amorites. Instead they were afraid and did not believe, except for Caleb and Joshua. They had to wander in the wilderness until all those who did not believe and did not obey died in the wilderness. Moses summed up this period: "Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands." (Deuteronomy 8:2). I think the answer to what can be done to avoid having to wander in the wilderness for such a long time lies in this verse.

God's purpose in leading the Israelites through the wilderness was to humble them and to test them in order to know what was in their hearts, whether or not they could keep His commands. At the point where one enters the wilderness, I think that the best thing one can do is to be(come) humble and to obey, thus fulfilling God's purpose. With His purpose fulfilled, God will have no more reason to keep us in the wilderness, so to speak. One should kneel and confess his sins with a broken and contrite heart. One should confess how worthless his life is without God in him. And one should obey and follow His commands.

Even after passing through the wilderness and entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were admonished to be careful not to "forget the LORD your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees" (Deuteronomy 8:11). The humility one learns in the wilderness is that one "does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" (Deuteronomy 8:3), that is, one's life depends on the Lord. This is true both while one is in the wilderness and afterwards. Every day that I live, every blessing that I enjoy, every breath that I take -- I owe it all to the Lord God, who sustains me and gives me life.

Lord, I acknowledge you. I acknowledge that your ways are higher than mine and that your wisdom is far, far superior to mine. My blessing is to stay in your favor and to obey and follow your commands. Lord, you are my King, my Creator, my Absolute Sovereign. Look down on me with mercy, though I am a sinner and come far, far short of your Glory. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.