They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. (Psalm 107:4-6)

Imagine having to traverse a vast, dusty wilderness and having no idea where you are going or how long you must travel. It is, as the psalmist termed it, “a desolate way.” Even if some type of roadway were created by millions of people on foot, the shifting sands moved by the desert winds would quickly conceal any trace of a path. An unfortunate wanderer in such conditions could potentially retrace his steps many times over and never realize it. And if they had planned to some degree for a desert journey, if they were to lose their way and wander aimlessly, their meager supplies would soon be depleted.

This would have been Israel’s plight had they not been continually guided by the Lord. By pillar of cloud in the day, and pillar of fire at night, they made their way through the wilderness from camp to camp. Even then, as the psalmist points out, there were times when thirst and hunger caused their soul to faint within them, but the Lord “delivered them out of their distress.” As Moses acknowledged, the perils they faced during their wanderings was to humble and test them, “to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2). 

Thankfully, we don’t have to face the same scenario as we navigate our way through life, but like them, we are faced with challenges that leave us uncertain as to what will happen next. Whether the need is hunger, thirst or the basic necessities of life, we tend to do just as they did — we doubt, we fear and, unfortunately sometimes, we complain. Also like them, we are compelled to face these situations that we might be humbled and tested to reveal whether or not we will remain committed to serve our Father faithfully. We’d like to think that we would but, sometimes, hardship is required to prove it one way or another. Fortunately, when we succeed and even when we fail, if we will call out to Him in humility, because He is faithful, He will hear our cry and deliver us from our distress.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill