We are called to live by faith (by the very words that proceed from the mouth of God) and Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that faith is true SUBSTANCE. In this world of warfare, it is so easy to slip into living by sight and reason, which brings a lot of fear and anxiety. God has a simple way of correcting that. It’s called the Wilderness. When Israel had faltered in faith to enter the promised land because they were governed by sight and reason, the Lord led them into the wilderness so they could learn to live by the words that proceed from His mouth, and of course faith comes by hearing the Word of The Lord.
The dynamic of the wilderness is that God removes every back up plan except Him and His word. The wilderness is a barren place that offers nothing but God. It’s there that we meet Him in profound ways because He is all we’ve got there. Nothing seems to grow in the wilderness, yet it is the primary place where intimacy and faith grow by leaps and bounds. In the wilderness we learn to lean on Him because there is nothing left to lean on but Him, as He reveals Himself to us in His promises. That’s why Song of Solomon says, “Who is this coming up out of the wilderness, leaning on her Beloved.”
If you are one who has longed to walk in intimacy and faith at a higher level, if you are one who desire to experience all that He is and has above everything else, then expect journeys into the wilderness from time to time. God is only answering your prayer.