Great post! All things work for the good of those who love God. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Reminds me of Lauren Daigle's "Look Up Child". Thanks RJW!

Thank you, IrishDrewski. I too like Lauren Daigle. All Praise Goes To The Lord, as I am amazed it made sense, but know Who made it make sense. God Bless.

Whenever I heard the Bible story about the forty years in the wilderness I felt I actually lived in it permanently, not just wandering around temporarily. Today I am hoping for the parting of the red sea! I think the wilderness experience is usually thought of as the result of us not doing things right. It is like we took a wrong turn and got lost and walking or driving in circles for a long period of time before finding the way out.

I am at the point of my life where I feel completely trapped in the dark, cold and lonely wilderness. The isolation is just unbearable, so is the fear, and I am trying to find our way out of it. There is a sense of punishment for something I did wrong (taking a wrong turn again and again) and a sense of a painful predestination doom.

God did throw me in the wilderness the day I started my journey of depressions illness at my age of 23. I had a normal life up till that day. I felt completely alone and that no one cared if I died. I grew up surrounded by friends and uncles, aunts, cousins and parents, grandparents. My mother is the youngest of the thirteen siblings, so I had many uncles, aunts, cousins to visit with. I was one of the good brains of my country (Thailand) (a smart student) who often won first places in my class-rooms. Then things gradually changed, and I found myself with the dry broken bones at the bottom of the valley and asked God "Why?" He showed me an image of Jesus on the cross. That's why.

If it were my choice, I would never had chosen to be where I was. I thought about the better days I had in my life and wished I could go back in time and put a pause where I liked to be the most and never having to move on from there.

Now somewhat victorious part of my life in the wilderness. God fought for me. He repeatedly told me in my Bible reading that He was leading me to some Promise Land which I perceived it as a "home." He did miracles (working out circumstances) and gave me a small "house" that He helped maintain for thirty years. Most people in our circumstances would have lost their houses in the first few years. There were the points when the roof of the house and the paint on the sidings got so worn out that home insurance company refused to insure which would cause us to lose our house to the bank that held our mortgage, and there was a point less than two years ago when the water heater in the basement broke beyond repair, and the furnace was about to give out. God repaired them all for us. In my long journey in the wilderness He gave me a home in the Promise Land He promised me.

And anyone would think I should have a great amount of faith through all the works God did to keep me alive and well. I realized I made several wrong turns in the wilderness but faith was what saved me from total disasters. Faith that told me God is gracious and understanding and is willing to rescue me when I call on Him.

Well, we need other human beings in our wilderness journeys or any life journeys. It may at some times in our life look like there is no hope to find human support but with God everything is possible. Six months ago and longer I lost all my hope of ever going to run into any human beings in my wilderness. I thank God He is coming again to my rescue. It was a long wait of answering to prayers but I am glad He is coming. He always came, and it is a miracle..

Thank you, LavenderC for that wonderful Testimony. Sometimes we must wait on The Lord to fulfill our Purpose, but never forget, that He is with us Always. Forty years is a long wait, but Moses waited Eighty years to just begin, then his forty years was to get others to the Promised Land, but he fulfilled his Purpose. We make mistakes along the way, but where we are is Purposeful, much more then any punishment. We just often just don't see it, till out of the Wilderness, as we look at how great a Servant Of God Moses was, as Joshua lead them out of their Wilderness. Thank you. God Bless.

While I understand what RJW is saying, I also thank you Lavender for bringing up the Promised Land. We are all on a journey and I believe we all go through wilderness experiences in that journey. I don't know about anyone else, but I do not believe that the wilderness was supposed to be where we stay, God having a better place for us. Hebrews 3 speaks about a place of rest, that the generation of Israelites who came out of Egypt did not enter into because of unbelief. The writer warns us not to allow our hearts to be hardened, and entreats us to exhort one another, reminding one another that we have been made partakers of Christ and truly we have entered into the rest of God. So no matter where you might be in your journey on this day rejoice knowing that God loves his children and all things work for the good of those who love God!

IrishDrewski - What you said about entering into the rest of God reminds me of this song "Near to the heart of God."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8d4NkNI5zY

There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God;

A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God

,Hold us, who wait before Thee, near to the heart of God

.There is a place of comfort sweet, near to the heart of God

;A place where we our Savior meet, near to the heart of God.
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Another song that gives me the feeling of that quiet rest is "Yes I know" by Gaithers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqLxtfkMILA

Here's another song "Does Jesus care?" that helps in the "wilderness."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVh9PeDaENc

If I ever get out of this wilderness alive I think my ministry would be something like "Ministry to the dying and bereaved."

RJW - Glad you finally got your "promised" post out. I am afraid it is going to be another long forty years of wilderness for me. I won't live to finish the journey. Don't even know I will survive four more years.

Thank you, IrishDrewski. It is true, that Promised Land can mean Home Forever With The Lord In Heaven And When His Kingdom Come On Earth As It Is In Heaven, after He remakes the Earth. That would mean, that this Earth is the Wilderness, then difficulties in this Wilderness would be like patches of desert in the Wilderness. It is about perspective, yet still based in Truth, as no shades of gray in Truth. However many that have mostly good happy lives, they wouldn't consider this Earth a Wilderness, even if they have patches of difficulties, which would be more of a Wilderness to them. Wisdom does match Truth to all different perspectives, without any shade of gray.

Thank you, LavenderC. Yes, The Lord was willing, so He carried me on. He is with you too, soo regardless of your Wilderness, The Lord is with you, and to be of Comfort. Figuratively, your clothes and shoes won't wear out, as theirs with Moses, literally didn't. Our journey is finished, when we get Home, then Eternity With Our Lord. Please do take heart, as there is no place, that The Lord's Love can't reach, even in our Wilderness, no matter the perspective. He Loves us, even if we might not even like ourselves. He carries us on to where we need to be. It is still on honor to be in your Wilderness with you, Following Our Leader, Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ. You are in my prayers, and a Blessing for those four years and beyond, as I pray, that The Lord carries you on. God Bless.

Thanks for this RJW. This reminded me of the account in John chapter 9 about Jesus healing the man who had been born blind. You are right, we don't always know the reason, we just need to persevere.

Blessings to all.

Jesus said the Kingdom of God is at hand. I used to see the world as a very dark place because I was blind and full of darkness myself. Jesus changed me and began to show me that the whole Earth is filled with the glory of God. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. These things I write that your joy may be full. Be of good cheer, for Jesus has overcome the world. Yes we will face tribulation in this world, but be of good cheer!. I am in the world, not of it. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance. Do we throw these verses out because we allow our emotions to tell us differently? Therefore build yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit and cast down every vain imagination that exalts itself above the knowledge of God.

Thank you, Beryl367. We do actually See for the first time, when we Accept The Lord Jesus Christ As Our God And Savior. Soo, He does that miracle too.

Thank you, IrishDrewski. This reminds me of a comparison of the three Heavens to The Kingdom Of God. Heaven is commonly known as where God Resides, but also heaven is the sky, and heaven is space. The Kingdom Of God is Believers. We are on this Earth, yet not yet on Earth, as it is in Heaven. That will happen, when Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ returns triumphantly to remake the Earth, as it was originally meant to be before sin corrupted the Earth. Then all will be Good. We need not despair, as we do already have that victory. We may endure, but know that soon will come, when we will never need endure again. This Earth isn't forsaken of all good, as The Lord made the good things on it, especially we Believers, who Live for and Serve Him. We just can't be of this world, as it will be remade to welcome The Kingdom Of God, Where we will never have to endure ever again. Thank you. God Bless.