We all know the story. Prophet guy anoints kid king. Kid kills giant. Kid becomes hero. Marries king’s daughter. Lives happily ever after, right?
Not so much.
Sure, David kills Goliath. Then Saul, the current king, becomes obsessively jealous and tries to kill David. David spends the next eight years fleeing for his life and living as a transient with a rag-tag bunch of dudes (all the societal rejects, basically). At one point, they even want to kill him. At another, pretends he’s crazy and drools everywhere to save himself.
Oh, and eventually he becomes king.
Same with Joseph–he had a dream of the sun, moon, and stars bowing down to him. Not long after, his own brothers sell him into slavery. He spends thirteen years working his way up the ladder, only to be falsely accused of adultery, thrown into prison, and face disappointment after disappointment.
Eventually, he interprets Pharaoh’s dream and becomes second in command.
And then there’s good ol’ Abe. Left everything to follow God. God promised him that he was to be the father of many nations. Twenty-five years, an awkward situation with a mistress, and an illegitimate child later, he finally gets a son. Never mind that he’s a hundred.
All of these men had one thing in common. They received a promise and immediately ended up in the wilderness–nowhere near the Promised Land.
Each of these men’s stories could’ve ended in the desert. They could’ve called it quits and given up. Instead, the wilderness places of battle and oppression actually became the training ground for their destinies.
God had given each of them a picture of their destiny. But none of them were ready for such a weighty responsibility. The wilderness solidified their identities and caused them to press into God–would they believe what He’d said or what their eyes could see?
Sometimes, God gives us a promise and then immediately leads us into the wilderness where we experience the opposite. This isn’t opposition; it’s opportunity. This is training ground–the chance for my character to grow strong enough to withstand my calling.
Currently, I’m experiencing the opposite of the what God told me for this season. And I’m realizing that I can stand with what God said or what I’m experiencing. I don’t know about you, but I’m unwilling to sacrifice God’s word on the altar of my experience.
The other great thing about deserts–God’s a pro at “providing water in the wilderness.” And as hard as it is sometimes, it’s pretty cool to see Him supernaturally provide.
Isaiah 41:17-18
“The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.
Katelyn Alexander 