Day 9 – March 13, 2025

We all face wilderness seasons. Times of dryness, hardship, and uncertainty where the path ahead seems obscured by a thick fog. It might be a period of grief, a struggle with illness, a career setback, or simply a time of feeling lost and disconnected.

Like the Israelites wandering in the desert, we can feel adrift, wondering if we’ll ever reach the promised land of hope and fulfillment.

For me, February 5th was always my wilderness. It’s the day I lost my biological mother and started down an unpredictable future path. It was always a day of sorrow and sadness. A day of what I was living without instead of focusing on what I was living with and for.

However, in God’s perfect timing, he would later bring me my second-born, my first son on the same day.

Today, let’s reflect on the nature of these wilderness experiences and how we can emerge stronger, wiser, and closer to God.

Scripture Reflection: Isaiah 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Father God, thanks for promising to stick with us no matter what, even when things get tough. Honestly, these rough patches can feel like way too much. We feel totally lost, confused, and like you’ve abandoned us. But your word says you’re always with us, and you’ll never leave us hanging.

We’re bringing all our struggles to you right now. We don’t always get why we must go through these things, but we trust that you know what you’re doing, even when we can’t see the point.

Help us, God, to notice you even when things are hard. Talk to us when things are quiet when we can shut out all the noise. Show us what we need to learn, where we need to grow, and how to lean on you instead of trying to do everything ourselves.

Give us the grit to hang in there, the strength to keep going, and the faith to know you’ve got this. Remind us how you’ve helped us out before, how you’ve gotten us through tough times, and how you’ll do it again.

While we’re going through this stuff, help us to see it not as some kind of punishment, but to make us better. Burn away all the junk in our lives, the stuff that keeps us from following you completely.

Shape us and mold us into the people you want us to be. And when we come out of this, God, we pray we’ll be stronger, wiser, and closer to you. We hope we’ll grow and blossom, doing things that make you proud. Thanks for your love, your kindness, and for always being there for us. Amen.

Thanks,

James Sweeney