No one wants to wander in the wilderness because it is a place of intense hardship.
The wilderness is desolate and dry with a limited water supply.
When God delivered the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, He deliberately led them through the wilderness.
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. (Exodus 13:17-18)
Why did God lead His people through the wilderness?
The Lord did not want them to face warfare. He also wanted to test their hearts to see how committed they were to Him in spite of hardship.
Job was tested in a similar manner to prove his commitment and he passed the test (Job 1-2)
Abraham was told to sacrifice his only son to prove his dedication to God. Abraham was willing to obey God even though he loved his son.
But, when he attempted to sacrifice his son the Lord intervened and provided an animal to sacrifice in place of his son. Abraham passed the test.
However, the children of Israel who were delivered from Egypt (except Joshua and Caleb) failed the test in the wilderness.
When God delivers you from the bondage of sin He does not abandon you.
He wants to lead you on the pathway of righteousness to fulfill the plans that He has for you.
The path will lead through the wildness to prepare you. The wilderness is designed by God to teach you specific lessons.
Lessons in the wilderness
1. Humility
The Lord will always hear the cry of a broken (humble) and contrite heart (Psalms 51:17).
Although God is highly exalted above His creation and dwells in a high and holy place, He also dwells in the hearts of those who have a humble and contrite spirit (Isaiah 57:15)
And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or not (Deuteronomy 8:2)
2. Obedience
The Lord prefers obedience rather than sacrifice.
Through the disobedience of one man, the entire human race fell into sin but through the obedience of one man (Jesus Christ), we all can be made righteous through Him (Romans 5:19). Praise the Lord!
3. Patience
The trying of your faith will develop patience in you.
Therefore, do not despise the trials in the wilderness but embrace them so that you will become perfect and complete in God (James 1:2-4). In other words, you will mature in the oil and wine.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:3-5)
4. The importance of the Word of God.
Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that precedes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
5. Prayer and fasting
Only through prayer and fasting, we will be able to overcome the enemy. You will learn how to pray without ceasing in the wilderness.
And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. (Daniel 9:3, 21)
6. Living by faith
In the wilderness, you will learn to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:26)
7. Sacrifice
The wilderness will teach you how to become a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God (Romans 12:1-2).
The sacrifice that God desires is a broken and contrite spirit (Psalms 34:18; 51:17. He also wants us to offer Him the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving (Psalms 116:7).
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. (Psalms 4:5)
8. The revelation of the glory of God.
Whatever you do in life you should do it to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). You will experience the manifestation of the glory of God in the wilderness.
And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. (Exodus 16:10)
9. Depending on the provision of God
The Lord will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior (Philippians 4:19)
And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. (Exodus 16:14-15, 32)
10. God is in control
In the wilderness, you will certainly learn that God is in control of your life and so you will not lack anything that is good (Psalms 84:11)
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:18)
11. God’s covenant of blessings and favor
Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. (Deuteronomy 11:24)
And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. (Deuteronomy 29:5)
12. The revelation of Jesus Christ
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:14-16)
I pray that whether or not you are in the wilderness period of your life you will receive the revelation of the Son of God to cleanse and make you whole.
I pray that your life will be filled with grace and favor of the Lord. AMEN!
Be blessed!
Related Posts
Are you stuck in the wilderness?
Passing through the wilderness
Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Becoming the Oil and Wine 
Leave a comment