A Thrill of Hope in the Wilderness

In the summer of 1986, my dad decided to take our family on their first ever vacation. He chose Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. We left Arkansas and finally arrived at Scenic, SD at which point dad announced he would take us in the back way, through the Badlands. Alone and on that gravel road, close to ten miles from any human being, a rock hit our gas tank and we were stranded in the wilderness. So, my brother and I walked through the Badlands back to Scenic where we called a wrecker to come get us.

My guess is you’ve had moments like that in life. Nothing seemed to go well. You felt isolated, alone, and no one knew your situation. We all felt like we were in a wilderness during COVID. Everyone did the best they could but it was a long time alone.

Maybe you’ve been asking questions like, “When do I no longer have to be alone”, “When will I finally get out of debt”, “When will I get a job”, “When will the cancer be gone”, “When will my child come home”. We’ve all had moments when it felt like we were stranded and we couldn’t see how we would ever move forward to a more positive space in our story.

We love the mountain top experiences with God. I mean, who doesn’t? But it’s interesting in the Bible, wilderness moments typically follow mountain top experiences. It happened to Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. He’s baptized by John and then hears the words of the Father, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased.” And right after that, Jesus is lead into the wilderness to tempted by Satan for 40 days and 40 nights.

Maybe you’ve had a bit smaller of a difficult time. Your relationship is great only to discover that person wasn’t being totally honest with you. You thought you had a rock solid marriage only to find out your spouse has been stepping out on you. You thought you were on the road to financial stability only to be laid off.

However, your deepest need becomes a gift when it drives you to depend an almighty God.

There’s a story in 1 Kings 19 about Elijah who runs away from a wicked queen. He runs to Mount Sinai and hides in a cave. The LORD appears to him to remind Elijah who he is and how God is with him, even in the wilderness. So God passes in front of the cave with Elijah standing there. There is a strong wind, an earthquake, a fire, but God isn’t in any of those extraordinary things. There’s finally an ordinary, every day whisper and that’s where God is. God asks Elijah in the whisper, “What are you doing here?”

And why does God whisper? It’s because He’s close…He’s near. He’s right there with you in your wilderness. So, what’s He saying to you? I will never forsake you. I will never leave you. I’ll hold you up with my strong right hand. I’ll stand by you. I will be light in your darkness. I love you more than you can imagine.

The Psalmist says in Psalms 34:17-18, “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” God is close to those who feel they are in a wilderness moment. But he whispers, “Hang on! I’m right here.”

You and I can trust God is Immanuel, “God with us”. He is with you and will never leave. He loves you more than anything. Blessings on the journey.

It's a Wild Wilderness!

I remember the summer of 1986. It was the summer before I went to college and my dad wanted to go on a family vacation. So he took us to see Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. He wanted to make it adventurous so he took us in the back way through the Badlands of S.D. We ended up breaking down on this gravel road and my brother and I walked seven miles to the nearest town to get help. Walking through those badlands was hot, sweaty, and long. It was not hospitable.

Sometimes in life, you find yourself in a wilderness. It’s tough. It’s painful. You feel abandoned and alone. Sometimes it’s a season of spiritual dryness. But our deepest need becomes a gift when it drives you to depend on God.

That’s what happens to the prophet Elijah after he defeats the 850 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel in 1 Kings 18-19. He literally has this epic mountain top experience with God but one person says something that sends him running. It’s like he forgot all of the experiences in his life that showed him God was with him. That God was real. That God would protect him. That God had a relationship with him.

And some of you are there right now. You’ve had enough. You can’t take anymore. You’re exhausted and overwhelmed. The truth is a nap will not cure how tired you are. The truth is you’re spiritually depleted. You need a real, intimate encounter with God. You need a revelation of hope and loving kindness from a living God. You’re asking God, like the Psalmist in Psalms 23, to restore your soul.

In Elijah’s story, he runs away from the threat on his life but God is with him. And in his wilderness, God asks him a question, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

God may be asking you the same question. “What are you doing here? You know better! You have full access to me. You’re a child of the King. You’re part of my family. Why are you running away?”

In Elijah’s story, God asks him to come to the edge of the mountain so that God can pass by in front of him. There is a multitude of things that happen: rock-busting strong wind, earthquake, fire…but God was not in any of those radical moments. God ultimately is in a quiet whisper. And why does God whisper?

Because he’s very close…he’s near to you. He’s right there with you in your wilderness. You can reach out and hold his hand. He’s that close to you. And what is he whispering to you? “I will never leave you or forsake you. I will hold you up with my strong right hand. I will stand by you. I won’t let you fall. I will be a light for you. I love you more than you can imagine.”

So know as we say goodbye to 2020, we embrace a new story and a new year. It’s a story where God is with you no matter what you are experiencing in life. He loves you and will never leave you. Blessings on your journey.