Wilderness lessons part 4
Scripture reading: 2 Timothy 4: 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
We have been in a short series of messages about “lessons from the wilderness.” God led the Children of Israel to wander in the wilderness of Sin for 40 years. And He did so to teach them some valuable lessons, and really to prepare the next generation for entering the Promised land.
Lessons from the Wilderness — Part 9
I’ve grouped these sermons together according to some major themes. The first two the key word would be acceptance. If we are going to survive the wilderness, and learn and grow from it, we have to accept that God brought us there to teach us; Rely on Him.
1.The Wildernesses of life are God’s Classroom, Second lesson; 2.We must Learn to Trust God’s Provision,
The second sermon centered on Contentedness.
third, 3.the wilderness teaches us the Danger of Grumbling and Discontent, 4. God’s Presence Is Greater Than Any Place, 5.Faith Must Conquer Fear,
Philippians 4:10-12 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Of course the opposite of a spirit of contentedness is one of grumbling and complaining.
Last week, you could have said that the main theme was obedience; facing temptations, walking in daily obedience, and growing as a leader.
6.Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice, 7.God Raises Leaders in the Wilderness, 8.Beware of Idolatry in the Waiting,
Today is the final sermon in this series and we are looking at three lessons from the wilderness; 9. God’s Word Is Our Daily Guide, 10. The Promise Is Reached by Faith and Perseverance, 11. Remember and Teach the Next Generation.
And the key word for today is should be perseverance. All told the wilderness teaches us acceptance, contentedness, obedience, and perseverance.
Perseverance: I think this could be the hardest set of lessons that we learn in the wilderness. Just that word made me think of my job as a middle school math teacher, especially this year. I’ve said from the start of this series that God takes us all through wilderness periods in our lives. And they are all different for each of us. It may be a time of health problems, or financial struggles, or it may be a mental challenge. I talked to some of you about the state of our schools here in Wichita. In short, Wichita schools have had a level of authority over students stripped from us. And one of the things we cannot do is have any real consequence for being repeatedly tardy to class. And we’re not just talking about scooting into the door 15 or 30 seconds after the bell. Some kids are 10 and 15 minutes late to class every day. They hide out in the bathrooms. They wander the three floors of our school. And if they are confronted, they just keep walking and give no answer. 1st hour is probably the worst because since many of our students are late to school already, there is absolutely no consequence to being late to 1st hour. So after the bell starting first hour rings, we can still have 30 to 40 students in the hall.
Now, that part is stressful enough. It is stressful enough that kids walk into your class 1, 2, 5, or 10 minutes after teaching has started. But what it has done is sparked a kind of brazen disregard and disrespect for adults and authorities in our schools. And that spills over into the classroom. I’ve had more problems with managing behavior in the class this year than I’ve ever had before. And I’ve heard from several teachers, including myself, who are openly talking about leaving the profession and becoming prison guards.
We are walking in the wilderness. And so, it is important for me to know these lessons from the wilderness, as well as you, as I go through this employment wilderness.
Prayer
Heavenly
Father,
We come before You today as pilgrims still walking through the wilderness of
life. Just as You led Israel through the desert—with a pillar of cloud by day
and a pillar of fire by night—so lead us now by Your Spirit and Your Word.
Lord, You know the deserts we each face. Some here are weary from long battles—battles with health, with finances, with loneliness, or with discouragement. Others, like me, walk through the wilderness of our work, where it seems harder each day to stand firm, to keep faith, and to press on. But You, O God, have promised that Your grace is sufficient, and Your strength is made perfect in weakness.
As we open Your Word today, teach us again the lessons of perseverance. Remind us that the race is not won by the swift, nor the battle by the strong, but by those who keep their eyes on Jesus—the Author and Finisher of our faith. Help us to remember that You are shaping us, refining us, and preparing us for the Promised Land ahead.
Give us the courage to endure, the humility to learn, and the faith to keep moving forward, even when the path feels dry and endless. May Your Word today refresh our spirits and renew our hope, so that like Paul we too may one day say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
In Jesus’
name we pray,
Amen.
So, our 3rd from the last lesson from the wilderness is that God is raising us to make His Word Our Daily Guide. We’ve been reading part of Deuteronomy 8 in sermons throughout this series, but I just want to read through this chapter to show you how much God calls on Israel to make His Word their guide. Remember, as we open this chapter, that this is Moses after 40 years in the wilderness giving the Children of Israel some final words before he dies and they enter the Promised land.
8 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, (The words “be careful” hear come from words related to observation, to keeping watch over a city. They were being instructed to watch over the commandments and Word of God like they were scouring the horizon for enemies coming to attack a city. Carefully look over God’s Word and determine if you are keeping all of it.) Why?
so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, (we often have wilderness times in our lives, and we hope to forget it. But God is telling them to remember it.) What part does He want them to remember?
to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, (Remember your hunger pains. Remember how basic your diet was. Remember your poverty in the wilderness.) Why?
to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.
(God wanted them to remember that they had been dependent on Him. And so, when they entered a later time of prosperity, they would continue to rely on Him.)
6 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
(How quickly in good times we can lose sight of our daily need for God and His Word.)
11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
(And then this final warning.)
19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.
The Word of God feeds us spiritually. Just as manna fell every morning for Israel in the wilderness, God’s Word must be gathered daily. Yesterday’s devotion will not sustain today’s trial. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” When our Lord faced temptation in the wilderness, He didn’t rely on emotions or memories—He relied on Scripture. If the Son of God needed the Word to stand firm, how much more do we?
The Word also guides us faithfully. Psalm 119:105 declares, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” A lamp doesn’t light the entire road ahead—it only illuminates the next step. In the same way, God’s Word doesn’t always reveal everything at once; it gives us enough light for today so that we keep trusting Him for tomorrow.
Finally, the Word guards us morally. Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” In a world of shifting standards and moral confusion, Scripture anchors our hearts. When temptation whispers, the Word of God answers louder. It is our daily nourishment, our steady guide, and our moral safeguard in the wilderness of this world.
God teaches us in the wilderness to search the Word daily.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”
The Word teaches what is right, exposes what is wrong, corrects what is broken, and trains us to live right. It equips us for every good work—not just Sunday mornings, but Mondays at work, Thursdays at school, and every wilderness between.
A museum once displayed the Bible that belonged to a famous 19th-century explorer. Visitors noticed its pages were still uncut—never opened. He carried the Bible through deserts, jungles, and storms but never read it. He had the guide in his pack but not in his heart. Many believers today own dozens of Bibles but seldom open them. The wilderness around us isn’t the problem—the unopened Book within us is.
Lessons from the Wilderness — Part 10
The Promise Is Reached by Faith and Perseverance- listen for words of faith and perserverance
Joshua 1:1–9 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
(This is a very vivid illustration. “I will give you every place where you set your foot.” In other words, if you are not willing to set your foot there, the Lord will not give it to you. They had to be willing to set foot in the walled cities, the territories of the Anakins, the cavernous and mountainous regions.)
4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Now here is where faith comes in. If you want a definition of faith, it is taking a stand based on God’s Word. God was giving Joshua a very specific promise. In battles against the people of this land, you can’t lose. That’s a remarkable promise. As long as Joshua was faithful and obedient to God, he can’t lose.
How many of us would love to have that promise? Well we do. Not in the same arena as Joshua. We aren’t given a commission to conquer a land that God designated to our nation, or our people. But He does give us promises of victory if we are faithful.
God’s personal promise to Joshua—“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you”—finds clear parallels in the promises God gives to all believers. Though Joshua’s commission was to lead Israel into the Promised Land, the same God who promised His presence and victory then still assures His people today of His faithfulness and strength. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus tells His disciples, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” echoing God’s words to Joshua. Likewise, Hebrews 13:5–6 quotes Joshua 1:5 directly, applying it to Christians as a reminder that the Lord will never leave or forsake us. Through the Holy Spirit, believers experience that same abiding presence Jesus promised in John 14:16–18, where He said, “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.”
Just as Joshua was guaranteed victory if he remained faithful, believers are promised triumph through faith in Christ. Romans 8:37 declares, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us,” and 1 Corinthians 15:57 reminds us that God “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” These victories are not physical conquests but spiritual ones—over sin, fear, and despair. 2 Corinthians 2:14 goes further, saying that God “always causes us to triumph in Christ,” showing that the believer’s success is found in continual dependence on Him.
God also promises His strength and courage to those who trust Him. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee... I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee,” a verse that mirrors God’s charge to Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” Philippians 4:13 gives that same assurance to every believer: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Furthermore, God promises to guide His people faithfully. Proverbs 3:5–6 instructs, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart... and He shall direct thy paths,” while Psalm 1:1–3 shows that delighting in God’s Word brings lasting fruit and success.
In summary, Joshua’s promise of God’s presence, power, and victory was unique in mission but universal in principle. For the Christian, God is with us (Matthew 28:20), He strengthens us (Isaiah 41:10), He leads us (Proverbs 3:6), and He gives us victory (Romans 8:37). Joshua’s battlefield was Canaan; ours is daily faithfulness in life’s wilderness. But the promise remains the same—if we walk in obedience and faith, we cannot lose, for the Lord our God is with us wherever we go.
God goes on speaking to Joshua.
6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Persevere in your meditation on the Word and it’s application.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
The wilderness journey ends in victory only for those who keep walking in faith. God’s promises are sure, but perseverance is required. It is a very literal illustration. The Children of Israel literally had to keep putting one foot in front of the other to get through the wilderness to the Promised land.
A marathon runner once said that mile 25—not mile 1—is the hardest part of the race. The body screams to quit, the finish line feels distant, and every step becomes a choice. But those who keep moving, even one step at a time, eventually cross the line in victory. The Christian life is not a sprint—it’s a marathon. The wilderness was Israel’s long race of faith. After forty years of wandering, one generation died in unbelief, but another stood ready to enter the promise. The story reminds us: it’s not enough to start well; we must finish well.
Philippians 3:12–14 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Paul had endured his own wilderness—shipwrecks, prisons, hardships—but he kept pressing on. He didn’t look back at what was lost; he reached forward to what lay ahead. Faith gave him vision; perseverance gave him motion.
Lessons from the Wilderness – Optional Closing Message
Remember and Teach the Next Generation
Main
Text: Deuteronomy 6:4–9 4 Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are
to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you
lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on
your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them
on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
The wilderness was not wasted if its lessons are passed on. Our experiences with God prepare us to guide others toward faith and obedience.
I. Opening Illustration – The Old Family Bible
A young
woman once found her grandmother’s old Bible tucked away in a box. Inside the
worn pages were notes in the margins, tear stains on the Psalms, and prayer
requests tucked between pages.
She realized her grandmother hadn’t just read the Bible—she had lived
it.
That old Bible was more than a book—it was a testimony. It reminded her that faith isn’t meant to be buried with one generation; it’s meant to be handed down to the next.
This is an important truth for us to understand. Sometimes your wilderness will not end in your entering an earthly promised land. We are not promised that.
Hebrews 11:13–16 — The Pilgrim Faith
“These
all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar
off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on the earth... But now they desire a better
country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their
God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
→ Many of God’s faithful servants never saw the earthly fulfillment of His
promises, but they persevered because they looked forward to a heavenly
home.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18 — Eternal Glory Outweighs Earthly Pain
“For
which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man
is renewed day by day... For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
→ The wilderness may not end in earthly reward, but it produces eternal gain.
Sometimes our wilderness paves the way for our children or grandchildren.
That’s exactly what Moses is doing in Deuteronomy 6. After forty years of wandering, Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. Moses would not go with them—but he wanted to make sure they never forgot the God who had brought them this far.
Before faith can be passed on, it must be possessed personally. You can’t pass on what you don’t have. Before Israel could teach their children, they had to know God’s Word in their own hearts. Verse 6 says, “These words… shall be in thine heart.” The transfer of faith begins with a living relationship with God. Older saints, your personal walk with the Lord is the most powerful sermon your family will ever see. Children and grandchildren may forget what you say, but they will never forget what they see lived out before them.
Second, we must teach God’s Word intentionally. Verse 7 instructs, “Talk of them when thou sittest… when thou walkest… when thou liest down… when thou risest up.” Moses described a lifestyle of discipleship—a rhythm of daily life where God’s truth is woven into ordinary moments. Faith isn’t taught only in the synagogue or church; it’s taught at the dinner table, in the car ride home, before bedtime, and during morning routines. Children learn most not from formal lessons or sermons, but from seeing what genuine faith looks like in real life.
Finally, we must remember God’s faithfulness constantly. Verses 8 and 9 say, “Bind them for a sign upon thine hand… write them upon the posts of thy house…” These visible reminders were designed to keep God’s truth front and center. In modern terms, it means keeping Scripture on the walls, prayer at the table, and music that glorifies God in our homes—visual and verbal reminders that faith is not something we visit on Sundays but something that defines our daily lives.
Psalm 78:1–8 “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD…”
Asaph
reminds Israel that remembering isn’t enough—we must retell.
The next generation won’t automatically know God’s faithfulness unless we tell
them how He led us through our wildernesses. Your stories of deliverance,
answered prayers, and trials overcome are tools for discipleship.
2 Peter 1:12–15 “I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things…”
Peter,
nearing death, said, “I’m going to keep reminding you.”
We don’t need new truth—we need renewed memory.
The most mature believers are not those who’ve learned something new, but those
who’ve learned never to forget.
Hebrews 12:1–2 “Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses… let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
We are part of a relay of faith. Others ran before us; now it’s our turn to run faithfully and pass the baton to those who come after.
V. Lessons from the Wilderness for Every Generation
1️⃣ The Wilderness Was God’s Classroom
Israel’s
hardships were not wasted—they were lessons in trust.
Each trial, delay, and deliverance revealed God’s character.
Your wilderness, too, is your testimony. Don’t waste the pain; turn it into
perspective for others.
2️⃣ The Next Generation Needs Living Examples
Our
children don’t just need to hear what God did for Moses; they need to hear what
He did for you.
When you tell how God provided, healed, or forgave, you show them that He is
still the same today.
VI. Illustration – The Tree Planter
An
elderly man was planting oak saplings in his yard. A young neighbor laughed and
said, “You’ll never live to see those trees full grown.”
The old man smiled and replied, “No, but someone will sit under their shade.”
That’s what it means to live with a generational mindset—planting seeds of truth that others will enjoy long after we’re gone.
Psalm 145:4 – “One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.”