Grief Again

I've been listening to sermons on subjects that I feel I need to learn about. Most of the sermons were by the late Rev. Terry Fullam from America.

So I've heard series of sermons on prayer, on faith, on suffering, and there was one whole series called Lessons from the Wilderness.

I'm learning that the walk through the wilderness is never for nothing.

The Israelites who were led out of Egypt didn't stumble into the wilderness by accident. They didn't take a wrong turn. The Lord led them into the wilderness.

He didn't take them by the most direct route to the promised land. He took them deliberately to a spot where there was water in front of them, and angry Egyptians behind them. There was no way out.

The purpose of that was to teach the Israelites to rely on God alone.

He then led them into places where there was no water, so that they would rely on God alone to provide water.

He led them into places where there was no food, so that they would learn to rely on God for manna and quails, and everything else that they needed.

The journey through the wilderness is never for nothing, and not there by accident.

There are times when God leads into the wilderness, and I'm hoping that I learn the message that the reason is that I need to fully rely on God alone.