Joshua’s Wilderness

Moses' wilderness was near Mount Sinai for 40 years, whereas Joshua's wilderness was near the tent of meeting for many years. God was speaking directly face to face with Moses, but God was not speaking directly face to face with Joshua. Joshua's wilderness was that “Being in a close proximity to God for many years but God was not speaking directly to him”. Joshua's hunger in the wilderness is the hope that one day God would speak directly to him. Today there are so many people who are not in a physical wilderness like Moses near mount Sinai, but in a spiritual wilderness(in God’s presence) like Joshua for many years.

They are in God’s presence where they see miracles, God’s Glory and physical manifestations, but God does not speak to them directly. They can be in church or worship place or among saints yet be in a wilderness. They hear lot of wonderful stories of God speaking to many people, but they have not personally experienced this. They help or serve a servant of God who sees God and speaks to God while He is unable to hear or see God directly.

They follow a leader like Moses, with whom God communicates, and they hear the leader tell tales of God's visitations and ways, but God does not communicate with them directly. Joshua longed for his own experiences with God and did not rely on or navigate his way based on Moses' experiences or visitations with God. Joshua was unique, and Moses was unique. God talked to Moses in a different way than He spoke to Joshua. Many people today who follow a leader like Moses are emulating their lives by basing their lives and ministries on Moses' experiences or ways rather than on their own personal relationship with God.

They must become like Joshua, seeking God of their mentor, rather than viewing their mentor as God or following mentor’s ways or experiences. Depending on mentor’s experiences or ways of working without receiving fresh revelations from God directly is a trap set by the devil. When we are in God's presence and God communicates to your mentor or others face to face on a daily basis but does not speak to you for many years. What is your reaction? Are you becoming dissatisfied, or, like Joshua, are you persevering and staying in the Tent of Meeting until God speaks directly to you? We read that Joshua remained in the Tent of Meeting even after Moses had left.

Joshua was spending more and more time in the tent of meeting than Moses, yet God was not speaking to him directly. How many years or months have passed for Joshua in this manner? Joshua's wilderness might have lasted at least 20 years. Joshua persisted and persevered until God spoke directly to him. We must also persevere until God speaks directly to us. The delay in speaking from God was to test Joshua’s hunger for God and prepare him for a greater purpose. Moses departed from the Tent of Meeting in the morning, but Joshua stayed in Tent of Meeting for an extended period of time. Are you so hungry for God that even if He does not communicate for an prolonged period of time, you still hope and persevere that He will speak to you?

Are you still hungry to see God even though you don't see or feel anything like Moses? Our hunger for God increases based on the fact that He is a living God, and the God who talked to Moses will undoubtedly speak to us. Our perseverance creates a deeper thirst and longing for God, preparing a larger space in our hearts for God to dwell and live. God spoke to Moses face to face, yet the same God saw Joshua's hungry heart. 20-30 years of perseverance or waiting for God to speak directly Joshua, had prepared him the next leader of Israel. God is waiting to see how many years you have been yearning or hungry to see God directly despite not hearing from or seeing God. God prepares a person for his greater purpose by testing their hunger and thirst for God for many years. The number of years of waiting or preserving is a preparatory step for God's great purpose.

Are you, like Joshua, in God's presence and near a Godly mentor, but God is not speaking directly to you? Don't give up, but keep on pursuing God until you find Him. Others, or your mentor’s experiences of encounter with God, should increase your desire to see God. God is testing your hunger and perseverance for Him and preparing you for His great purpose. Learning from Joshua's wilderness experience of maintaining a hungry heart and preserving until you see God should also help you see God.