The Weaning in the Wilderness - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) October 17, 2023

How many of us remember the story of the Israelites being in the wilderness for 40 years and immediately feel a pit in our stomachs? It can be hard to wrap our heads around the fact that a journey that should have taken mere days lasted four decades.

However, we often ignore that those 40 years were crucial for the Israelites' development. Those years of waiting allowed the LORD to wean them off of what they'd learned during more than 400 years of living in Egypt. They needed to learn to trust God and obey Him, instead of resorting to what they knew from their past.

Many of us are equally walking around in the wilderness waiting to step into our promised land. The journey isn't fun and sometimes we wonder when it will come to an end so we can enjoy the promises and goodness we expect from God.

However, just as God needed to purge 'Egypt' out of the Israelites' system, He needs to purge things from our past out of us. He needs to teach us how to rely on Him solely for everything just as the Israelites had to lean on him for food, water, and safety in the desert.

Sure, we all think we've been in the wilderness for long enough. That is understandable because the wilderness is not a comfortable place to be in. As far as we're concerned, we're ready to step into the land of milk and honey. But are we?

Despite what we think, only God knows the appropriate time for each of us to step into His promises. He alone knows the processes we must go through to be properly prepared. And while He is working on us in the wilderness, it is best to submit to His will. We need to let Him mold us into the version of ourselves that best reflects His glory. That way, when we enter the Promised Land, we won't stray from Him. Instead, having been well-trained, we will walk with Him faithfully and consistently. And His glory will rise and remain on us as a result.

May the Lord wean us of what needs to go and be glorified so we enter and remain in the Promised Land well trained by His grace and to His glory, IJMN Amen.