Purpose in the Wilderness

by Jennifer Slattery

All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him. 1 Samuel 22:2 NIV

When our daughter was young, a series of moves and transitions left me feeling shelved. It felt as if God had set me aside, potentially to never use me again. Looking back, I see now that much of my angst came from a false identity and narrow thinking.

Prior to those days, my husband and I had become heavily involved in a close-knit, Southern California church where we found numerous fulfilling ways to serve. As a new homeschool mom, I’d also connected with a thriving community that offered park days, co-ops, group field trips, and plenty of extra-curricular activities to keep my daughter socialized and entertained.

I greatly enjoyed all those endeavors, and, unknowingly, began forming my identity around them. However, through a series of moves, I found myself in a new state (the third in less than a year) and an inner-city rent-by-the-month apartment, not knowing where our family would finally land. As a result, I felt unimportant, uncertain, and unseen.

But one day, while sitting in that dingy, run-down apartment with numerous deadbolts securing our door, I sensed God speaking to my heart, calling me to live for Him—in that place. He wanted me to shift my focus off my unmet expectations and disappointments and to remain alert each day for ways to share His love and expand His kingdom.

I reflected upon that initially painful but ultimately fruitful time while reading through 1 Samuel’s account of a failed ruler named Saul and an emerging leader named David. To paraphrase, Saul had been selected and empowered by God but let fear drive him to disobedience. Saul ultimately lost his position to David.

Though chosen as the next king, David first endured a long, tiring, and discouraging wilderness season during which he battled doubt and disillusionment. Yet, notice what 1 Samuel 22:1, 2 (NIV) says:

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him.

Meanwhile, King Saul still maintained control of the royal army, while David led a group of distressed and poor misfits—according to human perspective. They were probably accustomed to experiencing rejection from those who deemed them unimportant. Yet, these were the men God called David to invest in during this wilderness season.

God always has a purpose for us to fulfill and people in which to invest—whether we’re standing on a platform proclaiming biblical truths, sitting behind a desk in a second-grade classroom, or showing a grocery store cashier the kindness of Christ. Although at times we might feel set aside, He has prepared glorious, soul-fulfilling tasks for us to accomplish in this season.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Jennifer Slattery is a multi-published novelist, speaker, and one of the hosts of the Faith Over Fear Podcast and the Your Daily Bible Verse podcast. Visit her at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com to learn more about her.

Join the conversation: Are you in the wilderness right now? Do you sense God’s purpose in it?