ON THE VANGUARD

IN THE WILDERNESS
"He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you."
Deuteronomy 8:15-16

My son is an avid viewer of the Discovery channel show, Man vs. Wild. As I wanted to spend some time with him last night, I decided to sit on the couch with him and watch an episode. In this account, the man was dropped out a plane in the remote Australian outback. His chore then was to live off the land until he found his way to civilization. Depending on the episode, this adventure normally consists of about two to three days in the wild.
As he made his way toward the coast, he fell upon a series of mountainous rocks and cliffs. Hoping from one ledge to another, he then came to a hidden cave where he found sitting water. By using charcoal that he had found in what looked like the remnant of a lightning strike, he was able to filter the water before finding it fit to drink. Going forward, however, he also found himself having to watch out for crocodiles, water snakes, and plenty of other challenges. In the end, the adventure led him through the desert and back to a place of green lush and civilization.
For a few days now, I have been feeling like I too was in a place like this desert; my own wilderness so to say. Although recently God had been talking to me and blessing me, I have found myself more so questioning now if God is still aware of me. This is a feeling that many have had I am sure. David expressed it in Psalm 23:4 when he referred to the valley of the shadow of death, and the Israelites lived through a physical wilderness for forty years on their journey to the Promised Land. But they all had one thing in common. They all were led through.
When Israel was receiving the second law in Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the people what they had come through. The nation of Israel had suffered the desert. Following the passing of the Red Sea, God allowed water to gush out of a rock. When the snakes plagued the people, God provided a healing method in their looking at the snake statue. God had allowed the people to have food to eat in the form of manna and quail, so as to not let them die of starvation. In all these tests, however, one thing was consistent. Deuteronomy 8:15 shares this truth - God led them through. He didn't just leave them in the desert, he brought them through.
Perhaps like me, you have found yourself in that same place. You feel like you are in the wilderness and are not sure when the exit will come or where it lies. But I want to encourage you with the same words that God has shown me recently. God will lead you through. God's desire is for your good fortune (Jer 29:11). Good fortune does not end with death in the desert, just as our adventurer was not stranded and left for dead in Australia. Therefore, there will be a day when you will no longer find yourself in the desert. The relief could come tomorrow, or it could come forty days from now. Until it comes, though, let us not give up or grow weary as we wait.