Walking Through the Wilderness

When our hearts are sorrowful, it can sometimes feel like we are walking through the wilderness. However, if you’ve ever gone hiking, walking through the wilderness can often bring a sense of peace.  

As we walk along the path, there is beauty that surrounds us. Often times those walks bring a sense of calm and serenity. We may need this if our hearts are broken and searching for healing. Instead of the wilderness being a dark place, it can be a place where we find direction, solitude, and inspiration.

As an introvert, quiet places are actually energizing for me. We live near a lake that has beautiful walking trails winding through the woods that follow the lake shore. There have been many times when my heart has been heavy, and after walking there, I feel lighter, stronger.  

The wilderness can also be a sacred place. It’s also on those walks where I can hear from my Heavenly Father. I can feel his peace surrounding me, and without the distractions of other things, He can minister to my heart. Something I could not previously see or hear becomes more apparent and visible to me.  

As one grieves, there can be a dark, lonely, and isolating period of walking in the wilderness. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be Moses as he led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 long years?

God uses these times to teach us things as He takes us toward something better. From a spiritual perspective, being in the wilderness can be a time of renewal or an encounter with God, like Moses and the burning bush.  

When we come face-to-face with sorrow and suffering, we can wonder where God is and why he allows certain things to happen to us. Or we can choose to see that He will use whatever challenges we are facing for His good and what He wants to do in our life story. As we walk this road may we trust in The One who can make all things new.