Every moment of every day, we are in desperate need of God’s immense grace and serenity. As we wake up each day, we must ask for his Spirit to renew our strength. We need a new word from his heart to us every day so that we can maintain our eyes on the prize. It’s futile to try to complete this race of life without him.
The book of Exodus tells how God’s people were enslaved by the Egyptians for many years. The people who lived there were oppressed, mistreated, and abused. They required assistance, and they needed to find a way out of the situation. God noticed their plight, remembered nothing, and helped them out at the precise moment he decided was best.
For the Most Part, “God Accepted Them Just as They Were.”
God accomplished miracle after miracle, delivering his people from Egyptian servitude and into freedom. He released them. liberated from tyranny. Liberated from a prison. Liberated from servitude. And the thrill ride had only just begun.
Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years. Forty years of aimless travel. Forty years of wandering in search of the place God had promised them. That’s an aeon in human terms. It sounds like the days were long, hard, and dry; anyone would have gotten tired of the constant exertion. Yet God did not leave them wanting; he provided for their every need just where they were. Through every trial and tribulation, they realised how dependent they were on Him.
His word consistently demonstrates this. True stories that demonstrate how God is always there for us, even when our situations seem insurmountable. Inspiring miracles that serve as a constant reminder that, when we put our trust in God and let him handle the tough stuff, he can accomplish things that we never could.
Here are Seven Takeaways From the Israelites’ Desert Wanderings:
- It is not always easy to go to our promised land; in fact, it is rarely easy. Although it may be difficult, it’s well worth it.
- when there seems to be no way out, God will make one.
- God will be our constant guide.
- For the sake of his people, God engages in battle.
- God always comes through in the clutch
- Sin constantly leads us in the opposite direction of our goals.
- Even when it seems like God has abandoned us, he never leaves our side.
“The greatest potential for teaching us patience and perseverance is in the harshest trials we endure.”
Struggles and issues that exert tremendous pressure are common for us. It’s as if we’ve been abandoned. However, it is precisely the most difficult challenges that have the greatest potential to teach us patience and perseverance. Our own “desert wanderings” could be the most transformative, faith-affirming period of our lives, but we might not realise this until after the fact.
