Day 185/186 of 365: Wilderness or Vacation?

Greetings, Precious Family. May the Peace of the Lord be with you always.

Family, have you ever heard the phrase, “I’m in my wilderness season”? Typically, that means someone is going through a very difficult time. But what if the wilderness wasn’t always a bad thing? What if there could be the gift of a vacation in the middle of it all? Let’s talk about how a wilderness experience can become a holy vacation with God.

What I have realized recently is that God is not necessarily punishing me when I enter a season of isolation. Sometimes isolation is exactly what the Great Physician has ordered so that I can return as my best self, or perhaps even better than before. We have to remember that God always has something precious He wants to teach us during those quiet seasons.

Drawing close to God and spending one-on-one time with Him should be a beautiful experience. Don’t get me wrong; there are seasons of isolation that are deeply painful, and I definitely know the difference. (You’ll just have to trust me on that one.)

Holy Scripture

Psalm 62:1-2
New International Version
Psalm 62[a]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;
    my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

The difference is not always where we are, it is often why we are there.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in difficult seasons because we have resisted God’s direction or wandered from His will.

Other times, God lovingly leads us away from the noise of the world into a quiet place of healing, renewal, and preparation.

The first is a place of loving correction.

The second is a place of holy restoration.

In both, however, God is present, and His desire is always to draw us closer to Him.

Family, whether you find yourself walking through a wilderness of loving correction or resting in a season of holy renewal, take heart. You never walk alone. The great I AM WHO I AM is already there, faithfully being everything you need for every step of the journey.

Let Us Pray

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being the great I AM WHO I AM. Before we ever knew what this day would hold, You were already there. Before we ever took our first step into this season, You had already gone before us, preparing the way with Your love, mercy, and faithfulness.

Lord, today we bring You every heart reading these words. Some are walking through a wilderness of loving correction, learning to trust and obey You more deeply. Others are resting in a quiet season of healing, renewal, and preparation. No matter where we find ourselves, remind us that we are never alone.

Your presence surrounds us, Your Spirit strengthens us, and Your love never fails.
Teach us to embrace the seasons You have ordained for our lives.

When You call us to be still, help us to rest without guilt. When You call us to move forward, give us courage to take the next faithful step. Protect us from comparing our journey to someone else’s, and help us to trust that Your timing is always perfect.

Father, thank You for being our Shepherd when we need guidance, our Healer when we are wounded, our Peace when life feels uncertain, our Strength when we are weary, and our Refuge when we need a safe place to rest. You truly are everything we need because You are the great I AM.

As we close this time together, quiet every anxious thought and calm every troubled heart. Fill us with the deep assurance that You are working all things together for our good, even when we cannot yet see the whole picture. May we walk into tomorrow with hope, joy, and confidence, knowing that the One who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.

We surrender our wildernesses, our holy vacations, our questions, and our dreams into Your loving hands. Lead us one step at a time, and may every step bring us closer to You.
In the precious, powerful, and loving name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Worship Video of the Day

Draw Me Close/Thy Will Be Done · Marvin Winans
Marvin L. Winans Presents: The Praise & Worship Experience
℗ 2012 MLW Productions, Inc
Released on: 2012-06-26

Rev. Marcia Davis, BA, MA

Covington, GA (USA)