A Prayer for When You’re in the Wilderness
By Jessica Van Roekel
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” - Isaiah 43:18-19, ESV
It’s summer in the Midwest, and the humidity rises faster than the sun. Farmland and grasslands soak up the water in the air while I sweat through it. The clouds helped make my morning walk tolerable. The Israelites wandered about the wilderness for forty years after their rescue from Egypt. Through the desert, they followed the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. God provided shade in the scorching heat and warmth for the chilly nights.
God chose Israel for a special position in God’s plan for salvation. Although they were spiritually blind, God still had a future for them. Israel witnessed God’s plan of redemption and helped reveal God’s plan to the rest of the world through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God, the Redeemer, Most Holy One, Creator, and King made a way in the sea, a path through mighty waters, and delivered his people from captivity.
The book of Isaiah holds so many wonderful truths about God and his commitment to the Israelites. It also details the struggle Israel had in remaining faithful to God and loving him with their whole hearts. In this chapter in Isaiah’s writings, the Israelites were stuck in desperate circumstances. They were in exile, far from their home and their spiritual roots, yet God, through the prophet Isaiah, promised them a return to their home and to his heart. Between captivity and the return to Israel lay miles of wilderness. Held within the pages of their history is the story of God carrying his people through another wilderness—one where God cared for them with manna and sweet water. Verses sixteen and seventeen call the Israelites to remember God’s work. If they don’t remember, how can they remind themselves of God’s lovingkindness?
Isaiah warns the Israelites that if they remained stuck in discouragement, they would miss their release from exile. If we stay trapped in failure, defeat, sin, and discouragement over our past, we cannot move forward either. Verses eighteen and nineteen tell us to forget the past defeat and move on to what God has for us. God makes a road. He satisfies our needs and protects us. We may worry about the details of God’s promises, but he says, “Hold my hand, walk with me, and trust me.”
Our sins and past failures can cause us to hang our heads in shame even after we’ve repented and received forgiveness. This shame can lead us into a wilderness of despair. But God says to remember not the former things and to recall his forgiveness. Isaiah 41:18 promises: “I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” Even if God leads us to the desert or we get stuck there because of the choices we made, we can still find comfort and hope when we look for the new thing God is doing.
Let’s pray:
Holy God,
We find ourselves in the wilderness. We wander from hope to hopelessness and back again. We struggle with doubt about your goodness because so much bad has happened. Help us remember you. Help us remember your kindness when the world was less than kind. Help us remember your faithfulness even when we lacked faithfulness. Help us remember not the shame we bear from mistakes made and hurts caused, but remind us of your forgiveness.
Help us not get so caught up in our desperate circumstances that we miss the way you make. Your way leads us to peace and to comfort. You make paths in the wilderness, and we don’t want to miss it. Open our eyes to see you move. Fill our sight with visions of the future you have for us—one of delight and growth—in the middle of our wilderness. Thank you for doing something new in our lives. Thank you for setting us free from the bonds of shame and remorse. Fill our hearts with rejoicing while we walk this wilderness road.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Everste
Jessica Van Roekel loves the upside-down life of following Jesus as she journeys to wholeness through brokenness. As an author, speaker, and worship leader, she uses her gifts and experiences to share God’s transformative power to rescue, restore, and renew. She longs for you to know that rejection doesn’t have to define or determine your future when placed in God’s healing hands. Find out more reframingrejectionbook.
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