Finding Purpose in Wilderness Seasons of Life

Seasons of wilderness are a recurring theme throughout the Bible and in our own lives. These are the times when the promises of God seem distant, and the circumstances we face feel like the exact opposite of what we hoped for. Yet, these wilderness experiences are not random or meaningless; they are purposeful seasons of preparation, where God is forming us to value Him above all else. The journey from promise to fulfillment almost always passes through a wilderness, just as it did for Israel, for Jesus, and for many of God’s people throughout history.

In the wilderness, God teaches us dependence on Him. The Israelites had to learn to rely on daily manna and water from God, not on their own resources or the people around them. Similarly, we often find that the people or systems we expect to help us are not the ones God uses, because He wants us to trust Him alone. These seasons can take many forms—challenges in ministry, marriage, work, health, or even unmet dreams. Sometimes, we don’t even realize we’re in a wilderness, which can lead to confusion and frustration, or to wandering in circles, missing the lessons God wants to teach us.

God uses the wilderness to refine our obedience, to teach us to follow Him specifically and completely, not just partially. He also confronts our tendency to grumble or become pessimistic, inviting us instead to praise Him even when we lack what we desire. The wilderness is not about God playing games with us, but about drawing us into deeper union with Him, expanding our vision of His greatness, and teaching us that His promises often extend beyond our own lifetimes.

Self-leadership is crucial in these seasons. We must resist the urge to assume we know exactly what God is doing, and instead, remain open to the deeper work He wants to accomplish in us. This means speaking faith, worshiping God even in the pain, staying rooted in His Word, and letting go of our preconceived ideas about how things should end. Jesus Himself understands our suffering and sits with us in it, offering His presence as our greatest comfort. The wilderness, while difficult, is also a place of unique provision and intimacy with God, if we will receive it.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The wilderness is the space between God’s promise and its fulfillment, often feeling like the opposite of what was promised. God uses this time to prepare us, teaching us to value Him above the promise itself and to trust His timing and methods, not our own expectations. [02:25]
• 2. Dependence on God is a central lesson of the wilderness. When familiar supports are removed, we learn that only God can truly sustain us, and He often provides in unexpected ways to break our reliance on anything or anyone else. [04:54]
• 3. Recognizing that you are in a wilderness season is vital. Without this awareness, it’s easy to become discouraged or to miss the tests God is giving, leading to spiritual stagnation or repeated cycles of frustration. [09:17]
• 4. The wilderness exposes our need for wholehearted obedience and challenges our attitudes, especially the temptation to grumble. God calls us to praise Him in lack and to trust His order, even when it’s confusing or painful, knowing that He is shaping us for greater things. [10:43]
• 5. Self-leadership in the wilderness means surrendering our assumptions about what God is doing, worshiping Him in the midst of pain, staying anchored in His Word, and letting go of our desired outcomes. Jesus is present with us in our suffering, and the wilderness can become a place of deep intimacy and transformation if we allow it. [17:06]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:10] - Podcast Relaunch and Vision
• [02:25] - The Wilderness Between Promise and Fulfillment
• [04:54] - Learning Dependence on God
• [06:22] - Real-Life Wilderness Examples
• [08:09] - Idolatry of Relationships and God’s Jealousy
• [09:17] - Recognizing the Wilderness and Its Tests
• [10:43] - Obedience, Holiness, and Grumbling
• [13:46] - God’s Sovereignty in Our Trials
• [15:26] - Self-Leadership in the Wilderness
• [17:06] - Worshiping God in Pain
• [18:45] - Jesus’ Presence in Our Suffering
• [19:50] - The Enemy’s Plan and the Need for Truth
• [21:31] - Closing and What’s Next

Bible Reading

Exodus 16:1-5, 13-18 (ESV) — > 1 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.
> 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness,
> 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
> 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.
> 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”
> ...
> 13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp.
> 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground.
> 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.
> 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’”
> 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less.
> 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.

Romans 15:4 (ESV) — > For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Matthew 4:1-4 (ESV) — > 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
> 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
> 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
> 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Observation Questions

1. What were the Israelites’ main complaints in the wilderness, and how did God respond to their needs? (Exodus 16:2-5)
2. According to Romans 15:4, what is the purpose of the stories and lessons from the Old Testament? ([02:25])
3. In Matthew 4, how did Jesus respond to temptation and lack during his time in the wilderness?
4. What are some real-life examples of “wilderness seasons” mentioned in the sermon? ([06:22])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think God chose to provide for the Israelites in a way that required daily dependence, rather than giving them everything at once? (Exodus 16:4-5; [04:54])
2. The sermon says, “The wilderness is the space between God’s promise and its fulfillment, often feeling like the opposite of what was promised.” How does this perspective change the way someone might view their own difficult seasons? ([02:25])
3. What does it mean to “value God above the promise itself,” and why is this important in the wilderness? ([02:25])
4. The sermon mentions that sometimes we don’t even realize we’re in a wilderness, which can lead to confusion or frustration. What are some signs that someone might be in a wilderness season? ([09:17])

Application Questions

1. The Israelites often grumbled in the wilderness. When you face lack or disappointment, what is your first reaction—grumbling, problem-solving, or turning to God? How could you practice praising God in the midst of lack this week? ([10:43])
2. The sermon talks about God removing familiar supports so we learn to depend on Him. Is there something or someone you tend to rely on more than God? What would it look like to trust God more in that area? ([04:54])
3. The idea of “self-leadership” in the wilderness means not assuming you know exactly what God is doing, but staying open to His deeper work. Are there areas in your life where you’ve been trying to control the outcome instead of surrendering to God’s process? ([17:06])
4. The wilderness exposes our need for wholehearted obedience. Is there a specific area where you’ve been obeying God only partially? What would it look like to obey Him fully? ([09:17])
5. The sermon says, “Jesus is present with us in our suffering, and the wilderness can become a place of deep intimacy and transformation if we allow it.” How can you intentionally seek Jesus’ presence in your current struggles? ([18:45])
6. Sometimes, God’s promises are fulfilled in ways or timelines we don’t expect, or even beyond our own lifetimes. How does this truth affect your hope and patience in waiting for God’s promises? ([15:26])
7. The sermon mentions letting go of our preconceived ideas about how things should end. Is there a situation where you need to release your expectations and trust God’s plan? What step could you take this week to do that? ([17:06])