Don’t Miss the Manna: What the Wilderness Season Teaches Us
Photo by FAICAL Zaramod: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-man-on-the-dessert-during-daylight-774835/
Ah, the dreaded wilderness season.
When we discuss spiritual seasons, the wilderness is often the first one that comes to mind.
We picture dry, silent, empty places.
And we wonder, How do I get out of this?
But what if the wilderness isn’t something to escape, but something to learn from?
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The wilderness in Scripture was not a mistake.
God led His people out of slavery and into it.
Later, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness immediately after His baptism, before He began performing miracles or engaging in public ministry.
So why does God lead us here?
To test us. To humble us. To teach us full dependence.
“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you… to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 8:2–3
What a Wilderness Season Might Look Like
You may be walking through a wilderness season if:
You feel like you’re wandering.
You’re doing what you know to do, but it still feels unclear.You’re emotionally or spiritually worn down.
Even simple acts of faith feel heavy. You’re showing up, but your strength feels small.God feels quiet.
You’re praying, but the silence lingers longer than you expected.You’re being stretched to trust.
You can’t rely on what used to hold you up. You’re learning to walk with God one day at a time.You’re tempted to look back.
Even what God freed you from feels easier than depending on Him daily.
The wilderness strips us of what we once relied on.
However, in doing so, it draws us closer to the only One who truly sustains us.
Don’t Miss the Miracles
We read the Israelites’ story and wonder how they could doubt after all they saw.
They watched the Red Sea part.
They followed God in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.
They drank water from a rock and ate bread from heaven.
Yet still they said, “We never see anything but this manna” (Numbers 11:6).
Manna, a miracle from God, began to feel ordinary.
Because it wasn’t what they wanted, they stopped seeing it as a gift.
We do this, too.
We grow fixated on what hasn’t changed, what feels silent, and what is missing.
And we miss the quiet ways God is still providing, giving us just enough for today.
This isn’t condemnation.
It’s an invitation to look again.
The generation that left Egypt saw wonders but lost heart when the journey felt long.
They gave in to fear and wandered for forty years because they refused to trust Him fully.
But you are not them.
You can walk differently.
You can endure this season with trust by relying on the Word of GOD, even when the way forward feels unclear.
God is not asking for perfection.
He is asking for steady faith in uncertain places.
Encouragement for the Wilderness Season
You don’t have to feel strong to be faithful.
God honors your showing up, even with shaky steps.Trust is built in the quiet.
The silence might be where your faith deepens most.God provides daily, not all at once.
Grace comes for today, not always for the entire journey.The wilderness is not where God leaves you.
It is where He meets you in deeper, quieter ways.
You won’t stay here forever.
This is a season, not your identity.
You may not have chosen the wilderness.
But God is using it.
He is still providing.
Still speaking.
Still leading.
And even now, He is preparing you for the promise ahead.
A Prayer for the Wilderness Season
Thank You, Lord, for the wilderness.
Even when I would rather avoid it, I trust You are doing something holy here.
Help me see Your miracles and manna.
Do not let Your blessings feel ordinary.
Thank You for the grace that sustains me,
and the dependence You are building in me.
Give me strength to endure and faith to trust.
I just want to walk through it with You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
✨ This is part of the Spiritual Seasons Series — a 7-part look at how God shapes us.
May you walk through this season with grace.
