Life Lessons From The Wilderness

Memory Verse: "Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with him." (Deut.11:2, TEV)

Scripture Reading: Deut.11:1-8.

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt through the wilderness to the Promised Land. It should have only taken them a few weeks, even with a large crowd. But it took them 40 years.

What in the world were they doing? For 40 years, they were walking around in a circle. God was giving them one test after another and saying, "Will you trust me?" There were seven tests. Every time they failed the test, he sent them on another lap around the wilderness. 

For every time we fail a test, we do not get promoted. We are made to take the test again and again until we pass the test! Personally, I've repeated many tests because I refused to learn the lessons pertaining to certain wilderness phases.

Some of you are in the wilderness right now. Or maybe like me, there is a level you thought you are over with but for some reason, you are made to repeat the level again because there are some lessons the Lord still wants you to learn. Either ways, don't worry, we are coming out nourished and full with so much lessons. The Lord said to me, "The wilderness is a place of nourishment." How true! 

The way to the Promised Land is through [and not by] the wilderness. You have got to go through that waiting period. You have got to go through that desert-like  experience. You have got to go through that dry spell. 

Waiting in the wilderness always has a purpose. Failure to discover the purpose of your wilderness situation will keep you there longer than God intended. You are journeying through the wilderness for a purpose. And while you are journeying, you need to keep a record of the lessons you are learning.

Numbers 33:2 (NLT) says, "At the Lord's direction, Moses kept a written record of their progress." Are you keeping a written record of your progress in the Christian life, my friend? Are you writing anything down? You need to start keeping a journal when you are waiting. A journal is different from a diary. A diary is for events; a journal is for lessons.

I have learned in the waiting periods of life that little lessons lead to big successes. Some of the tiniest lessons I have learned in dry periods, in depressing periods, in discouraging periods have been the keys to big successes in my life. Little lessons lead to big successes. So you need to write them down! Ps.119:33 is a good prayer to pray when you are in the wilderness and waiting for God to deliver you: "God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course" (MSG). 

So darling, while we go through the wilderness to get to our promised lands, we have the choice to either learn the lessons and get promoted or fail to learn the lessons and keep repeating the tests. I know you'll make the right choice. I know.

Ponder Point: The promised land always lies on the other side of a wilderness.

Action Point: Learn the lessons as you journey through the wilderness.

Prayer Point: O LORD, teach me life lessons from my wilderness experience(s) so I can stay on track and grow in spiritual maturity in Jesus name, Amen.