“Pour into me the brightness of your daybreak! Pour into me your rays of revelation-truth! Let them comfort and gently lead me onto the shining path, showing the way into your burning presence, into your many sanctuaries of holiness. Then I will come closer to your very altar until I come before you, the God of my ecstatic joy! I will praise you with the harp that plays in my heart to you, my God, my magnificent God! Then I will say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed, for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me. Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.” Yes, he is my saving grace!”

Psalm 43:3-5 (TPT)

New beginnings, significant crossroads, and life changing events and opportunities! All of these landmarks dot the maps of our lives! But unfortunately for most of us, we must also leave dots in the wilderness. And the wilderness isn’t the place we normally look for excitement, expectation, and hope. But as we leave our dots in the barren sand, we discover the hidden goodness of the badlands. 


Sometimes we are keenly aware of what is happening, and other times we just feel stuck. The anxiety, the confusion, the pain, the feeling of lost purpose and direction, the impatience. None of these are pleasant and can leave us feeling distant from God and each other.

But God always has something good in store for us, even if we can’t see it. God uses our wilderness experiences to elevate our dependence on Him, to deepen our trust in Him, to refine our character and strength, and to lead us into unchartered territory.

There are many Biblical examples of the wilderness. Some were self-imposed and some were imposed by others, but all of them resulted in great moves of God because, in the wilderness, people always encountered God!

Visions were given. Missions were issued. Transformations were witnessed. New life was birthed. And in the midst of the desert, their sufferings could be considered all joy.

And our sufferings can too. Not that our wilderness is a happy place. But joy can be found because we know that God is still in the business of refining us, restoring us, and rescuing us right where we’re at. He is the God who has the power to bring water out of a rock (Exodus 17:6) and new life to dead trees (Ezekiel 17:24). And He is the God who will show up to save us! He is the reason that in our wilderness we CAN look for excitement, expectation, and hope.

God’s compass leads to truth and light, and when our battered and worn-out boots are dotting the wilderness with tears and fears, our good and hope filled future is guided from the heart of our Creator as He pours His heart into ours.

You may not all be in a wilderness season right now, but you all know someone who is. So, whether it’s for you or for a friend, let this be your prayer today – “Lord, pour into us the brightness of your daybreak! Pour into us your rays of revelation-truth! Let them comfort and gently lead us onto the shining path, showing the way into your burning presence”. And then let us praise Him for more new beginnings, for more significant crossroads, and more life changing events. And yes, let’s even praise Him for the dot that is being left behind as a landmark in the wilderness.

#SaturdaySoulSearch