What do you do when the wilderness gets wild? When it wears out its welcome?

What do you do when the delay lingers? When the unknown remains a mystery?

What do you do when you feel like you’ve circled this mountain long enough (but you’re still stuck on it)? When you’ve been here before, and you thought you learned this lesson already?

Wilderness seasons are difficult but vital. We want quick fixes and fast passes; we long for shortcuts and detours. But what if God has something more for us here?

Hard circumstances can unveil harsh realities.

Reality has a tendency to come in like a wrecking ball. It shows up, unannounced, and it stirs up all the feelings.

When reality reveals itself, when trouble comes, when the storm hits, we have some choices to make. Will we numb the pain and bury our feelings? Will we let fear take the reins? Will we be self-reliant? Or will we rush the throne and seek God?

In this season especially, I’m learning to run to God when I’m overwhelmed by life. To get away with Him. To feel all the feelings in His presence, to come to Him honestly, to seek His comfort and find peace in His Word. To value relationship with Him more than answers to my problems.

A few days ago I noticed that panic and anxiety were on the rise. Instead of numbing myself with Netflix or escaping my emotions by eating, I spent time with God. I allowed myself to feel the heavy burdens. I cried. I worshiped. I read my Bible. I wrote out verses. I listened. I trusted.

And I was encouraged – emboldened, made courageous again.

My reality didn’t change. Our circumstances are the same. We’re still in the wilderness, waiting for breakthrough. But I found strength in God to keep going. To endure hardship as discipline. To draw near and receive grace in my time of need. To choose hope over despair. To receive love instead of fear. To stay connected to Him. To believe that He is good, and He is God.

“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” – Hebrews 12:4-13

We can endure hardship as discipline; we can bear it bravely and calmly. God is treating us as His kids, and He is the most faithful Father. This process is for our profit, it’s to our advantage. At the time, discipline isn’t cheery or joyful; it’s filled with sorrow, sadness and grief. But later on it will produce beautiful things for those who are trained by it.

So in this season? We restore strength to our weak hands and feeble knees. We straighten our spine and we raise up our exhausted arms in worship to this kind Father. We run the race He marked out for us; we walk the straight and narrow path through the wilderness. We remember that He is with us. We receive wholeness and grace as we rest in the finished work of Jesus.

“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” – Isaiah 35:3-6

When I read Hebrews 12 and Isaiah 35, I looked up different words in the Greek and Hebrew that caught my eye. (Blue Letter Bible is my favorite resource for this!) The encouraging command for fearful hearts to “be strong” was one that I looked up.

Guess what? It’s not a strength in ourselves. In Hebrew, the word is ḥāzaq; it means “to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous); to tie fast, to bind bonds strongly.”

When fear rises up in your heart, in your weakness, fasten yourself to God. Strengthen your ties to Him. Stay connected to your Source. Be tethered; don’t let go of Him. (He won’t let go of you; He’s holding you in His hand.) Don’t let fear have the final say. God will come. He will come to save you and set you free.

Trust is built here in the wild, when the reality of difficult seasons makes itself known. It helps to remember that God is on His way. Jesus is coming back. God is making everything right, turning it all to good. He’s forming and forging. He’s purging and purifying. He’s extremely patient, incredibly compassionate, and absolutely trustworthy.

Father, we look to You. We fix our eyes on You. You’re more than enough. You’re always faithful to provide. You’re always with us. You’re always there. You’re always working, even if we don’t see it. Light up the way forward. Clear the path. Help us, Lord. Remove the obstacles. Do what only you can do. Give us vision. Fulfill Your promise. Uncover our next step. Guide our dreams. We want more of You. Go before us. Walk with us. Be our rear guard. You are victorious. Turn this to good, for Your glory. Whatever gets You the most glory. Strengthen us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This week’s song suggestions:

• Something Has To Break by Red Rocks Worship
• Help Is On The Way by Amanda Lindsey Cook