The Wilderness Isn’t Wasted

by Kali Mackey

“Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness…” 

— Deuteronomy 8:2 NLT

I think we all have wilderness seasons.

Those seasons where you pray, “God, how long?” And then you pray it again. And again.

The kind of season where you’re doing your best to trust God, but if you’re being completely honest, you’re tired. You’re tired of waiting. Tired of not knowing. Tired of wondering what God is doing and when things are finally going to change.

I’m in one of those seasons right now.

And I don’t have some beautiful ending to share because I’m still in the middle of it.

I’m still waiting. Still praying. Still asking God for answers. Still having days where my faith feels strong and other days where I’m just tired and wondering, “God, what are You doing?”

I wish I could tell you I’ve learned how to peacefully surrender everything and never worry about it again. I haven’t.

I want the plan. I want the answers. I want to know where this is going and how long I’m going to be here.

But maybe that’s part of what God is teaching me.

The Israelites didn’t know how long the wilderness would last either. They had left what they knew, but they hadn’t reached where God was taking them. They were stuck somewhere in between.

And sometimes I think that’s where we find ourselves too.

Somewhere between what was and what we’re praying will be.

The wilderness can feel lonely. It can feel unfair. It can make you question whether God hears you at all.

But Scripture reminds us that God led the Israelites through the wilderness. He didn’t abandon them there.

Which means He hasn’t abandoned me either.

God is still working even when I can’t see it.

He is doing something in me that could only happen in a season like this. He is teaching me to trust Him without having all the answers. To lean on Him when I don’t have the strength to figure everything out myself.

I don’t know how long my wilderness season will last.

But I’m believing that it isn’t wasted.

Because God doesn’t need me to understand the whole story to trust Him with the next page.

So if you’re in the wilderness too, I just want you to know you’re not failing because you’re tired. You’re not failing because you have questions. You’re not failing because some days all you can do is whisper, “God, please help me.”

He hears that prayer too.

The wilderness may not be where we wanted to be, but it can still be a place where we meet God in ways we never expected.

I may not understand why I’m walking through this. I may not know what comes next. But I’m going to keep bringing my questions, my fear, my frustration, and my prayers to God. Because even in the wilderness, I know where to turn.